Brand New Eyes
by ZeroFoxGiven
Summary: DISCONTINUED. Sorry, y'all!
1. Let Go

Written by Nyxy Maskalina Raccoon with a bit of inspiration from my favourite songs, movies and the internet.

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

**Story Info:** Brand New Eyes takes place about four or five weeks after the movie, in early summer. Humans have returned to develop the remaining forest, forcing the animals to abandon it and find a new location. According to an old map, there's a campground on the other side of the city. With few better options, they set out in search of it. Soon they discover the city, as well as a few of its less well-kept secrets. Between humans, feral dogs and highways it seems someone might die... For real. Rated T for violence and dark themes, though I think younger people can read it with no problems.

**Author's Note:** _After almost five months, I've decided to rewrite the majority of this fanfic. It's not up to my perfectionist standards (and probably never will be), but I've improved a lot since NaNoWriMo and figured, hey, why not? The storyline is the same, just written a bit differently. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed and supported this thing! Y'all rock, and I'm proud to call many of you my friends! Here's the first rewritten chapter, enjoy!_

**Fun Fact:** This fanfiction originated as a bedtime story I told the three little girls I was babysitting. I only wrote it down so they could read it whenever they wanted. Boy has it grown!

This message means there's still a lot of work to be done, so bear with me, haha. Feel free to read it now, but you'll also wanna check out the improved chapters once they're up. ~Nyxy M. Raccoon~

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Let Go. (Chapter 1)

_Heather_

Roaring echoed in my ears, and I wasn't sure if it came from the machinery or my pounding heart. I dodged falling branches, leaves scattering everywhere as they hit the ground and broke apart. A chainsaw ripped through the log, and you might as well have stuck it in my heart as it destroyed our family home.

Sawdust was spraying everywhere and I closed my eyes to avoid getting blinded by it. Panic filled my chest as I ran with my hand clutched over my face, desperately hoping to catch sight of something familiar. _Anything._

An engine rumbled behind me, gasoline fumes and smoke filling the air. I coughed a little and bumped into a construction boot-clad foot. Jumping back, my surprise was mirrored by the human's shocked expression. I darted away as fast as I could, the hedge blurring in and out of focus as I scrambled desperately for cover.

I never reached it. A tree fell across my path, birds taking off in all directions. I could have climbed it of course, but at that moment I was too panicked to think straight. Turning around, I spotted an acorn lying in the long grass. Probably one of Hammy's. Thinking quickly, I grabbed it along with a few pieces of grass that fell out of my hand as I dashed to safety.

I finally escaped to the familiar wall of green, ducking inside and bending over as I tried to catch my breath. Light filtered through the leaves above, the stillness almost mesmerizing. Snapping out of my daze, I peeked beyond the safety of the branches, watching as men in orange vests ripped apart the only place I ever remembered calling home. Call me sentimental, but it hurt. Like, a lot.

I felt tears stinging at my eyes, but defiantly I blinked them away and focused on the scene ahead. The pond had been filled with piles of and dirt, uprooted plants thrown everywhere. Two rusted yellow machines crept through the mess, ripping up the bright green ground and replacing it with muddy trails.

Amidst the chaos I caught sight of an enraged skunk being held back by a chubby cat. There was no mistaking who they were. Stella was yelling out insults faster than the machine could cut trees and I applauded her. Tiger tried to get her to leave, but I could tell he was enjoying it almost as much as she was. I was about to join her and scream a few of my own, but regretfully I never got the chance.

In the middle of the digging zone was my dad, frozen stiff and wearing that all-too-familiar blank, slightly shocked expression. _Great._

"Don't!" I yelled, but my voice was lost amongst the rumbling and shouting.

I hoped that he'd heard me, but it sure didn't seem that way. His expressionless eyes were wide open as he leaned backwards. I would have facepalmed had it not been so dangerous out there. Instinct took over as I raced towards him, nearly being trampled twice in the process. I kept shouting at him as I got closer, but he didn't notice.

For a second I thought he was ignoring me, but then I looked up. About ten feet behind him was a huge, rumbling machine, smoke pouring from dented tubes in its roof. There was no way the human driving it was gonna stop that thing.

For a moment I wondered why this was happening, but the answer was obvious. _Enough is never enough. _I guess I should've known.

Taking a deep breath, I jumped in front of the rusted machine, feeling the soft spray of dirt it kicked up as everything blurred into slow motion. I grabbed my dad's hand, pulling him away from the metal monster that was no more than a few feet away. The ground seemed to shake as I dragged him behind a freshly-cut tree stump.

"Watch out for the rats!" A human bellowed, pointing to where we'd been just seconds ago. My breath caught in my throat as the machine tore through all of it, leaving a deep gash in the earth. That had been _beyond_ a close call.

On the bright side, my dad seemed to have snapped out of the half-fossilized state he'd been in earlier.

"Oh Heather, I'm sorry. It was all so fast, that metallic behemoth destroying everything in its path... I couldn't help but freeze."

I smiled, a tiny bit sarcastic.

"Yeah, okay Dad. Let's just get out of here."

He nodded and we snuck through the scattered debris to the hedge, this time avoiding the condescending stares and comments. I still had the acorn in my hand, which made climbing a little hard, but whatever. It wasn't exactly difficult in the first place. That was one advantage of being a possum!

It didn't take us too long to find the others in various states of panic. Standing on the too-green grass of the suburbs, I took it all in. The glare of the sun on the pure black pavement, perfectly arranged tropical flowers and two kids splashing in a tiny plastic pool. A warm breeze blew through my fur as butterflies floated past effortlessly. It was definitely summer now. Too bad we couldn't enjoy it.

"Where were you? We looked everywhere... I thought you were dead."

I whirled around, coming face to face with Verne. He looked relieved, and I could understand that. We'd lost enough today.

"I'm alive, not sure about Dad though," I said jokingly.

"We got caught in all the stuff going on back there and it, like, took us a while to get out. We're fine, trust me. Everyone else here?"

He looked around quickly, counting up the rest of the family. I couldn't see everyone, but I guessed they were okay since no one looked completely devastated.

"I think so, but we can't be too safe."

The turtle wandered away, mumbling the names of the animals he could see. Penny and Lou were busy comforting their kids, who had been pretty freaked out by the whole thing. They had called the rusty machines _ultra-cool_, though. I rolled my eyes, remembering how they insisted someone took a picture of the bigger one.

Stella had threatened to "stink 'em 'til the sun don't shine", but luckily Verne had convinced her that that probably wasn't the best idea. The last thing we needed was a repeat of the human drama. Instead she was with a very puffed up and moody Tiger, who had apparently fallen in the pond while running away. It's really true, cats absolutely hate water.

I was about to ask someone what exactly we were doing gathered in the middle of someone's lawn when I was nearly knocked over by a very enthusiastic Hammy. He hugged me so tight I thought my eyes might pop out, but it made me happy anyway.

"Hey, I missed you too. I brought this for you," I said, tapping on the acorn and trying to breathe properly.

He pulled away just as fast, studying what I had in my hand. I smiled brightly as his eyes widened at the sight of the beloved nut.

"Oh! Thank you!" He chirped before speeding off again, grass blowing behind him. A few minutes later I saw him burying the thing. Well, that had been a bit of a waste. I shrugged. Whatever.

I was getting bored standing around, the sound of cicadas mixing with cars and construction equipment. Looking around the wide-open lawn, I spotted Stella, Tiger and Penny discussing something. Figuring one of them might know what was going on, I hurried along the hedge line towards them.

"So, anyone know what's gonna happen?" I asked, noticing the others looked just as confused as me.

Penny shook her head, looking to Stella for an answer.

"Not a clue. Maybe ask Verne," she said, returning her attention to Tiger. That was _so_ not helpful.

Kicking a pebble across the asphalt, I realized the roads were all blocked off by orange and white fences. Probably something to do with the construction. At least it kept most of the humans away.

From what I could see, it wasn't even noon yet. Bored, I sat down on the curb and watched the fat white clouds get bigger and fluffier by the minute. Occasionally one would cover the sun, casting shadows across shiny cars and empty backyards. They changed shape and broke apart, joining up with others and drifting away. Eventually they vanished behind the suburban skyline of matching houses and trees, leaving only faint wisps until new ones appeared to take their places. Things sure changed fast.

I heard a car door slam and turned my head to see what was going on. It seemed to have come from one of the worker's oversized white trucks, but thankfully there wasn't a human in sight. The only one near the truck was Verne, and unless he'd thrown a rock at it or something, it couldn't have been him. Remembering what Stella had said, I trudged over, more than a little confused.

"Stella told me to ask you what's going on. Are we gonna do something, or..." I trailed off, not really sure what to say next.

"Yeah, I'm working on it. We're just waiting on _him_." He gestured, somewhat annoyed, in the direction of the truck. Inside the tinted window, I could just make out a ringed tail and the occasional random object being thrown around.

After another minute or so, the door popped open again. RJ climbed out, dropping what looked like a month's supply of food in the new, slightly smaller wagon. From the looks of it, we wouldn't have to worry about going hungry for a while.

"Was that really necessary?" Verne asked, looking at the heap of brightly-colored boxes and packages piled well above the top of the metal walls. It looked like it would be nearly impossible to budge, let alone drag for hours at a time.

"Can't go on a mission without supplies," he said, "and besides, I found this." Reaching in his bag, he pulled out a thin piece of paper printed with lines and tiny words. It flapped gently in the breeze, revealing a few large splotches of red and green.

Verne looked skeptical. "And what exactly is that?"

"Our ticket to a new home. Check it out!"

Carefully unfolding the delicate material, he spread it across the grass, revealing a web of intertwining lines and strange names. I stepped closer, trying to figure out what we were supposed to do with it. I was sure I'd seen then before, but I couldn't remember where.

"It's a map of the area. We're right around here," he pointed to the edge of the largest color patch, "gimme a second and I'll figure out our options."

It took longer than a second, but at last he grinned and held up the paper.

"Got it!"

By now the rest of the family had gathered around, most of them peering curiously at the map. Spike reached up to touch it, but Penny pulled him back.

"Got what?" Lou asked, confused.

"The perfect destination for us! This little beauty right here is a _campground_. Not only is it the safest place imaginable, the humans are pretty much encouraged to feed us! They can't cut it down, either. What more could you ask for?"

I had to admit, it did sound pretty promising. Our campground appeared to be a small green blob an inch away from the massive 'Westfield City' which it was connected to by a thick red line.

"And where exactly _is_ this campground?" Verne asked, frowning as he stared at the somewhat faded paper.

RJ smiled awkwardly. "On the other side of the city-"

The turtle's eyes widened, his expression reminding me of an internet meme.

"_What_?"

"The other side of the city. It's not as bad as it sounds, I swear. We'll make it to the outskirts by evening if we leave now."

Verne stared critically at the raccoon. "And _after_ we get there?"

"It'll take us about five days to reach. I've been there before. Not the campground, but the city. A few areas are really worn out, but trust me, it's not as bad as it looks. Some parts are even _fun_."

Verne sighed in frustration. "If this is the city you're talking about, it's more than five days away." He tapped on the pale red patch labeled Westfield, the map crinkling slightly.

RJ looked a bit surprised, but didn't falter.

"Ok, maybe a week at the most. I promise, that's the longest it'll take."

I nodded in agreement, as did everyone else. The whole thing was crazy, but it sure beat staying here and watching our home get ripped apart and made into another housing development.

Verne studied the map again as though he was hoping for some sort of secret answer. "I don't think it's the best idea, but what choice do we have? Get your stuff, I want to be at the city's edge by sunset."

Since I had nothing that wasn't already in the wagon, I watched kids fighting over a plastic dinosaur in an inflatable pool while I waited. They splashed water everywhere, half-draining it every time one pushed the other out. It was hot for this early and I wished our pond wasn't gone so I could go for a swim myself. I could hear a lawn mower in the distance, the smell of fresh-cut grass mixing with chlorine and sunscreen. Spring was over already.

I laughed as one of the kids flung the dino behind their shed, the other jumping out with a loud splash and nearly tipping the entire pool. In the driveway someone had written 'LOL' on a dusty minivan window, and a slightly faded gnome stood watch over the dried-out garden. In a weird way, I'd miss this place.

The remaining belongings were shoved into the already overfull wagon, and a few final pictures were taken with the cell phone and camera. In what felt like no time at all, we started off on our long journey. The kids ran ahead with Hammy, while Tiger fell behind and complained about how hot the sidewalk was on his delicate paws.

My dad was his usual dramatic self, and we talked about all sorts of different things, from my first words to playing possum. Despite the fact we'd just lost our home, laugher could be heard from all around and no one shed another tear. We were all being brave, a family doing our best to enjoy the first real summer day of the year together.

Behind us RJ was pulling the wagon, which was only fair considering he was the reason it weighed a ton in the first place.

"Wonder what happened to her" he said to no one in particular, "bet she hasn't changed a bit."

He smiled almost wistfully as he said it, and I couldn't help but wonder who he was talking about. Maybe she could help. Knowing a local had to be a good thing, right?

In no time at all we reached a busier area, talking in hushed voices as we hugged walls and snuck through gardens. Most of the suburbs seemed identical, but after a while I started to notice the differences. Bubbling fountains filled with icy water, porch swings that creaked in the wind, a house covered in cat climbers. We had to practically drag Tiger away from that one.

Occasionally I felt a little sad, but I didn't focus on it. The sun crept lower as we continued following our path, cicadas turning to crickets and airplane trails streaking the sky. Both of us were on adventures, going places we'd never seen before. In a way, it was almost exciting. There's a part in everyone's life where you just have to let go.

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**Author's Note:**_ Updated to say that Chapter Two has been cleaned up. Check that chapter for info on more rewriting stuff. Thanks for reading, I love y'all! Remember to fave, follow and review if you enjoy! :) Nyxy_


	2. Irony's in the Name

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

**Author's Note:** _The second fully-rewritten chappie is here! I considered this one of my weakest chapters before, and hopefully this one is better. Of course I still have a ton of work to do, but at least the first part of the story is less cringe-worthy lol. Thanks a ton for reading!_ •N•Y•X•Y•

**Fun Fact:** Jade's 'official' theme song is Ignorance by Paramore. Blindness by Metric is her alternate one.

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Irony's in the Name (Chapter 2)

_Jade_

A cool wind whipped down the alley, blowing my bangs in my eyes. Ah, those lovely summer breezes, sticking fur to my eyeballs. I sighed in annoyance and swatted them away for the hundredth time, cursing nature, building designers and life in general.

No sunlight penetrated the narrow passage, leaving it damp and cold. Dirty water pooled around the edges, or at least I _hoped_ it was water. Shuddering from both the temperature and disgust, I stepped over yet another pothole. Something metallic glimmered inside, but I ignored it. I was far beyond the point of caring right now.

A strange sound bounced off the crumbling bricks and concrete, my ears perking up in curiosity. It was disturbing, and the closest comparison I could think of was a Dementor sucking the life out of some helpless victim. Turning, I crept toward the source of the sound, pressing my back against the cold brick wall. The last thing I needed was to be seen. I worked my pocketknife out of its leather hilt slowly, not daring to move too fast.

Carefully peeking out of the shadowy crevice, I spotted two cliche "edgy" humans kissing. Freakin' disgusting! _Love_. What a pathetic waste of time and tax dollars. Congratulations on your cute little conformist lifestyle, idiots. You want a gold star or something? To think that once I'd actually _desired_ that. And before you even mention it, I'm not jealous. Not even a little bit.

Flicking my tail in disgust, I slid back into the darkness and relative safety of chipped, mildewy walls. The humidity settled on my fur, leaving it heavy and slick. Westfield City was a miserable, lonely place. Sort of like life, really. I never understood why they called it a miracle. Bunch of crap if you ask me. Ignorance will only get you so far. One day you'll open your tired eyes and see exactly how screwed up this world really is.

I sighed in resentment, my cracked nails digging into the cheap plastic knife handle. Nothing was fair, and karma's a lie. Justice is up to us and us alone. My eyes narrowed in anger, the coolness of the thin blade pressing up against my finger. All I had left was hate, revenge and emptiness. I'd worked hard, fighting and training for three years, even shunning my so-called 'life' in the process. They'd hurt me, and I had every right to rip them apart. Those dogs were going to _pay_. And no, I don't take Visa.

My mind swirled with images, and I nearly forgot the stupid reason I was here. There were a million filthy alleyways, but of course I had to pick the _one_ that scared me. Really, I just love fate. Not.

The graffiti-stained walls gave way to what first appeared to be an overgrown field filled with junk. Actually, that's exactly what it was. Hardly anyone knew it still existed, and none of them cared. They'd all moved on, and a few of them joined my best friend in whatever came after this pathetic waste of time.

I'd been too busy thinking about avenging Blake to realize just how _close _I'd gotten. _Too close_. I'd come here before, but never had the guts to actually look. I danced around the edges, trying to build my nerve, but I always left before I was reminded. It was for the best. Fear was the enemy, but some things were beyond my abilities. Happyland Fair was one of them.

Crumbling walls gave way to a sea of open grass, trading brick for empty shells and old metal. The rough concrete was buried by a tangle of weeds and crumpled brown leaves. Dewdrops clung to them, glistening in the murky light. A grasshopper hummed, the sound reminiscent of summers long gone. The sun had been warmer then, I think. Maybe even brighter, but it didn't matter. Nothing lasts forever. I learned that one fast.

Beyond the drooping mess of half-dead plants loomed something equally lifeless but far, far worse. Dilapidated ride carcasses reached for the sky, the once-vibrant paint faded to monotonous rust. Nature has taken most of it back, as though it was desperately trying to hide the darkest secrets of humanity. In a way, it was.

Two years ago some kid named Cassie had died there, and the park quickly joined her in non-existence. I hadn't been sad to see it go, but I guess a part of me missed all the crazy things it represented. What I didn't miss was what I'd seen there that awful, cold September night. Contrary to what they'd have you believe, Cassie wasn't the first one to die cradled in those twisted arms of metal. It hadn't been a tragic accident that time, though. Mechanical failure was not to blame.

A sudden gust of wind knocked a letter off a sign, snapping me out of my thoughts. The bumpy concrete was rough on my feet, but I wouldn't step into the park boundaries for _anything_. Not even to save a life.

The balloon pop shack slumped miserably to one side, paint peeling off and sticking to clumps of dead grass and old picnic tables. A stuffed lizard rotted away beside it, the soft fabric now a disgusting green mess. Faded plastic eyes stared flatly at me, and I'd never seen something that had never been alive look so _dead_.

I shivered, stepping back. I shouldn't have gotten so close. It had been a mistake, albeit a somewhat intentional one. Grimacing, I looked away. Stupid freakin' curiosity! I wasn't even a cat, but it was gonna be the death of me.

My hands found the button on my leather pouch, and I carefully fished around in it until I felt crumpled paper. If I was gonna torture myself, I might as well go all the way. I pulled it out shakily, nearly dropping the fragile paper in fear of doing more damage. Years of sunlight had faded the ink slightly, but it was still perfect to me.

A teenage raccoon was laughing and waving at the camera, his hazel eyes glowing from bad lighting and too much flash. Blake, the best friend you could ever have, and the only animal I'd never called an idiot. He should've won a medal for that, really.

Beside him was a younger me, posing like some sort of rebel, my pale gray eyes looking slightly reddish. We were pointing at each other, somewhat reminiscent of siblings blaming each other for a prank. In the background you could see a rather handsome fox and his younger brother as well a plain-looking cat. They were cut off by a roller coaster track, the infamously awesome_ Lightning Flash_.

We'd ridden it about a thousand times when the stupid park security hadn't been looking, which was pretty much every night. You think they would have done something about all those rides seemingly setting themselves off, but no one really appeared to care. The park couldn't afford it, and the supposed paranormal activity brought too many wacko customers to get rid of. Hey, it worked for us!

The picture looked almost normal until you saw the cat food sticker covering the raccoon with his arm draped over my shoulder. Having a vibrant green sticker really did detract from the finished product, but trust me, it was a necessary evil. I didn't ever want to see those mocking blue eyes again. Good riddance, idiot. I never really liked him anyway, despite what the crudely-drawn sharpie hearts would have you believe.

I stared at it for another half hour before gently sliding it back in my carefully-organized pouch.

"Bye old friend," I whispered, "I'll see you soon."

I walked away from the ruined park slowly, my tail dragging in those disgusting puddles of slime. After a few minutes the sound of grasshoppers and creaking metal were covered by relentlessly humming traffic. It hardly ever stopped, especially at rush hour. Humans crowded the sidewalks and horns blared, occasionally making me flinch. Someone was screaming and a moron was blasting music. I gritted my teeth to keep from cutting the radio wire.

Even the loneliest of alleyways got trampled through at this time, so I slid into a shattered window, the sharp bits of glass scraping against my belly. It was dusty inside the old building, and I almost sneezed. The room seemed almost too quiet and I froze, making sure I really was alone. All the windows except the tiny broken one were boarded up, and it took a second for my eyes to adjust.

A mannequin half-wearing a white dress was propped up against the wall, surrounded by shattered mirror bits that glinted faintly. Otherwise it appeared unused. The place wasn't pretty, but it smelled nicely of old perfume and was empty, both of which were a score in this area of the city. I sighed, blinking slowly as my heartbeat finally returned to normal.

Scrounging around for a while, I found a bag of stale gummy candies and a single piece of mint gum. At least I wasn't gonna starve tonight, I guess. After eating half my pathetically small dinner, I crept across the dusty tile to the broken mirror. Brushing aside a few of the smaller shards, I stared at my depressing reflection. My fur was dull and matted, clinging limply to my underweight frame. I looked away, both frustrated and a bit embarrassed as I tugged my fingers through the knotted mess. I pulled too hard and winced, which only made me feel more stupid. The way this was going, I was done for the night.

I made a face at the mirror, almost laughing. What was the point of mirrors anyway? Humans used them to smear red stuff on their lips and powder on their eyes. I really didn't get it. Was looking like a zombie considered a perk to them or something? The corners of my mouth turned up a little, and even though it wasn't a smile, it was _something_.

Flipping my bangs dramatically, I imitated one of those all-too-common fake humans. They even had the nerve to name one of those styles the "raccoon eye". I know us raccoons are a thousand times better looking, but no one likes a rip-off! It was pretty funny. Okay, so I was immature for my early twenties. I really didn't care, but then again, what _did _I care about?

I slipped one of the mirror shards in my pouch, figuring one day it might come in handy. Rolling my eyes at my reflection, I went back to my minuscule food stash to wait out another too-bright afternoon. I almost wished for some crazy adventure, but that was incredibly stupid. This wasn't some story on the internet, after all. I curled up on the cool, dust covered tiles and watched a cobweb dance in the evening breeze. Yeah yeah, be careful what you wish for. Stupid freakin' curiosity!

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**Author's Note:** _Hopefully you liked it, and I'll continue to re-write the older chapters as well as update more regularity now that January is over! Chapter three is still a mess, but I'll get to it soon. Thanks for reading! Fave, follow and review if you liked it and want more! Hugs, Nyxy_


	3. Welcome to the Danger Zone

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

_Author's note: Set-up is over, kids! The action starts here! Thanks for the read. Fave, follow and review if you like it! ~NMR_

_Thanks for the review, Mouseygirl1411! I'm glad you like my writing and the story. Jade is totally mean, but that's what makes her awesome lol. She's only gonna get meaner, at least for a while. I hope you enjoy my future updates and tolerate Jade's attitude haha! ~NMR_

Welcome to the Danger Zone (Chapter 3)

_Heather_

We'd been walking through the suburbs all day, the warm sun beating down on us. It was interesting at first, but it got old quickly. Everything looked the same. If it wasn't for the map, I would have sworn we'd just been going in circles. The same neutral walls, neon green grass and fenced-in yards. It was too clean, too perfect. I wanted to run around and make a big mess, but I held myself back. That was the responsible, grown-up thing to do. I _hated _being responsible, and I was far from being grown-up, but my entire family was on the line in this one. I let it slide.

A loud noise caught my attention, breaking off my thoughts. I could have sworn a minute ago I'd been in the boring, empty suburbs, but it certainly didn't seem like that anymore. In front of me was a huge road, cars rushing by in both directions. The uniform structures had been traded in for run-down brick shops and old apartments. What the heck had happened? The whole thing looked like the set of those crime movies I'd watched on the old TV.

"Welcome to the Downtown!" RJ announced, pushing through the other animals. Stella glared at him, but she was ignored. He still held the map, thin paper flapping in the wind.

That managed to snap the others out of their seemingly frozen state. Most had been staring at the huge machine that towered over a burned-out apartment building. I had to admit, it was pretty mesmerizing. I don't think any of us had seen one before, let alone been right across the street from one.

Verne had stopped staring and ran (well, as fast as a turtle can run) toward RJ, who'd been tracing his hand across the map, most likely trying to figure out where to go from here.

"You call _this _safe? The whole place is a death trap! Cars, humans, giant metal things, everything we tried so hard to avoid! This makes our old home look safe! We are turning around right _now-"_

Verne stopped his rant and grabbed the corner of the map. RJ pulled back, but that only caused the old paper to rip. The map was now dancing along the sidewalk, headed straight for the highway. No one moved for a second, they were all too horrified. The map was our only chance of escaping the city unharmed. Without it, we had no way of even knowing where we were!

"Shoot!" RJ said, and ran after it, toward the mass of traffic. I saw Penny and Lou covering their kid's eyes. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. Morbid curiosity took over.

He jumped and tried to catch it, but missed by about an inch. A passing car kicked it up and it landed in the middle of the outside lane. There was a tiny break in traffic, and apparently he thought it was enough. Not even bothering to look both ways, he ran right out in the middle of the road. I could swear the ground was vibrating, but I figured it was nerves. Wrong.

Coming down the nearby hill was a city bus. One of those big, annoying ones that made awful screeching sounds when they stopped. The bus wasn't the one screeching. I looked down. There was nothing I could do at this point, and no one needed to see that. My heart pounded in my ears, and I hoped it'd be enough to cover the inevitable sound.

There was no thump, no noise to tell us what we were all fearing. I looked up. There was RJ, standing on the edge of the sidewalk. His eyes were wide and his fur puffed, but he held the now-crumpled map. No one moved for what felt like forever, we were all still in shock.

"Wow," RJ said, looking at the map, "that was a close one."

I snapped out of my stillness, as did Hammy. The squirrel ran up to him and gave him a big hug, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he nearly knocked both of them back on the road. The raccoon moved away awkwardly, and eventually Hammy realized that now was not the time for hugs.

"A close one? This is what I'm talking about! If we stay here, we'll all end up dead. None of us know how to survive in a war zone!" Verne said angrily, pointing at RJ.

The raccoon was not going to take it. "What? I just risked my life to save this," he said, shaking the map, "and we'll end up even more dead if we turn around! You know first hand how _loved _we were back there!"

Verne looked like he was on the edge of a nervous breakdown. "You go then! No one in my family is getting run over, eaten or crushed! I am not being responsible for anyone here _dying."_

At the last word, my dad collapsed dramatically. Of course. Could it get any better?

"Fine! Go starve to death in peace, or get yourself exterminated. Guess it's not my problem anymore, huh?"

At that point I wouldn't be surprised if one of them had tackled the other. Luckily it never got that far. Stella shoved Tiger aside and stepped between them.

"I really don't wanna do this, but if you keep it up I will." We all knew what she meant of course.

They stepped back, still glaring at each other. No one tried to start another fight, however. Stella rolled her eyes and stomped back to where she'd been standing, muttering something I couldn't understand and probably didn't want to.

Everyone had been so distracted by the display, no one noticed what was going on around us. I'd been watching just as intently when RJ ran off with a look of horror on his face.

"Coward!" Verne spat, but Stella gave him the I'm-gonna-stink-you-if-you-don't-stop look and he shut up.

"RJ wait! Don't leave!" I yelled, but he didn't even turn around. He'd made it to the entrance of a dingy alleyway by now. I followed him, not thinking of the consequences.

It took me a moment, but I quickly saw why he'd been so panicked. There were the porcupine triplets, all gathered around a strange metal contraption. A rat trap.

I gasped in horror. Surely they knew better than to touch it...

"Kids! Leave it!" RJ yelled. They turned and looked at us, and it seemed they were safe. A second later, the trap exploded, the snap echoing through the grimy walls of the alley.

That set off quite the panic, and I watched all three of the kids run past me, screaming for their parents. Wait, all three? Obviously I was beyond happy they were safe, but what the heck had set off the trap?

I looked at RJ, but he just shrugged. In the trap was a small, glossy black object. A thin silver blade reflected the evening light, though it had been pushed down into the hilt. It was a knife, but a strangely small one.

"If they'd touched it, their guts would have been coming out of their mouths." A gruff voice said.

I jumped, and looked around. A shape stepped out of the shadows, though its face was still obscured. RJ stood in front of me, but I didn't think he'd be much of a match against whatever had said that.

"Seen it a million times. _Cleaned it a million times._ Wasn't about to go through that again."

The figure was now completely free of the shadows, and I could tell that she was a raccoon. She ignored both of us and bent down to retrieve her knife. She flicked the blade open and admired it for a moment before turning to face us. No one said anything.

"What are you staring at?" She asked, turning away. The knife was still in her hand, reflecting spots of silver on the damaged brick walls and boarded-up windows.

RJ was looking her up and down. Lovely. She'd nearly killed us with her knife-throwing skills, and he was checking her out. Guys were so stupid sometimes.

"Jade?" He asked skeptically. The strange raccoon froze, and then turned around.

"Long time no see, long time no say, idiot. I knew you'd come back eventually. You won't find it, the whole place is nothing but rust and memories you'll want to forget."

There was a fire in her eyes, and it was scary. Not intimidating, just plain scary. I backed up a bit.

She looked at me with cruel grey-blue eyes. The fire was gone, but she was still unnerving. "And by the way, you can do _so_ much better than him, girl."

Three thoughts filled my brain. First was that either this Jade had had something awful happen to make her this rude, or she had major issues to deal with. Second was that she thought RJ was my boyfriend. Um, no. Sure he was cute, but just no. Third was that she could probably help us get through the city. She obviously knew what she was doing, after all. If she didn't stab us or kill us, maybe she'd be our guide. Not likely, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides, at least she'd kill us quickly. If we were gonna die... No, we were not going to die. Well, maybe my dad will, but not permanently.

"Wait!" I called, and she turned around, casting the shadow of her too-thin frame on the dirty pavement. I couldn't be sure, but I though I caught a glimpse of something beneath the anger. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"What?"

_Author's note part II: So, whaddaya think? Jade is pretty rude... but is there something good hiding under that darkened facade? Or is she really just a jerk? What's going to happen to our favourite possum Heather? Find out when I have free time and put down the sims! Seriously though, thanks for the read. I hope you like it. ~NMR __XD_


	4. A Promise of Revenge

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

_Author's note: Thanks for the read and I hope you like it. R&amp;R if you enjoy, and don't be afraid to leave ideas or suggestions! I'll probably consider 'em, but just plain old average reviews are cool too. Rock on! ~NMR_

A Promise is a Promise, Except When it's Not (Chapter 4)

_Jade_

"So let's get this straight. You want _me_ to help you and your family get through the city and to Natural Forest campground? To spend an entire week of my time as your glorified tour guide and bodyguard? Really?"

Glancing at the faded red brick, I tried to keep my composure _and_ my temper in check. I'd expected her to ask for food, or maybe a place to crash for the night. That I would have done, I'd been in her place before, and it was unwritten code that we helped each other out. Still, even I had limits.

I waited for her response. Maybe I was being a bit too harsh, but that was nothing new. Besides, that was a pretty freakin' huge thing to ask a random stranger, no?

She shifted a bit, but held her ground. Impressive.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's what I asked."

I considered it for a moment, knowing full well I couldn't do it. Not only was it a huge risk, it would completely mess up my revenge plan. I'd worked for _three years_ to get where I was. That was dedication, especially with today's attention spans being what they were. Yet there was a bit of hesitation, something telling me I was wrong. You'd probably call it a _conscience._ I called it stupidity. Not to mention the companion of the girl who'd made the request. _Cat Food-1.00._ I grinned. Maybe revenge didn't have to wait after all.

"And let's say I agree. What exactly is in it for me? You can't expect me to do something like that without any reward!"

I was pushing, and I knew it. Shameful really, that I was trying so hard to get a reaction. Of course, it worked. I'd gotten better in those three years, much better. Street smarts weren't something you could learn quickly, but they sure did come in handy.

The possum looked from me to the raccoon, hoping for backup. She got it. He turned to me, the last of the evening light playing off his features. All too familiar against those old walls. I'd been here before, but I hadn't been glaring that time. At least I learned.

"Oh come on, there's lots in it for you! I mean, look at you. You don't look happy here, and it's obvious that you could use a vacation. You always wanted to be a hero, well, now's your chance! Plus you'll get to boss everyone around, and don't tell me you don't enjoy that."

I snapped back to reality. That was too far. My grip instinctively tightened on my knife, even though I'd never use it, not that I didn't want to. Possum girl had given me a sympathetic look, and I couldn't imagine how she'd tolerated that idiot for so long. I sighed, trying to clear my mind of venom and curse words. Now was not the time, it was getting late. I really needed to get out of here before _they_ found me. _Just like last time. No._

Unfortunately the raccoon was far from finished with his (un)convincing speech. I should be getting paid for this. He was a walking advertisement for migraine pills, if nothing else.

He grinned at me, bright eyes sparkling mischievously. Cheap trick, but you can't say it didn't work. Stupid girls fell for it every time, not that I'd know from experience.

"Besides, _Jaded Lady,_ if you're anything like you were before, this is enough of a reward." Another one of those looks. He hadn't changed, that was obvious. Three years, it wasn't that long, was it? Oh how hate could grow. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to stop myself from flying into a rage fit. They rarely did anything, as I'd learned in the last few years. It wasn't helping much.

The last straw had just snapped. I had a sudden urge to punch the nearby trash bin, but I knew that would only hurt. Of course. Where was a punching bag when you needed one? Words would have to do for now, but I'd already made my plan.

"Well, _Ridiculous Jerk,_ I suggest you shut up." _  
_

I glared at him before turning my attention to the possum, who I was pretty sure was named Heather.

"And Heather, I'd be _happy_ to help your family."

She looked surprised, but upbeat. I had to respect her. Unlike her obnoxious friend, she had dignity.

"Really?"

I smiled, and as much as I hated to admit it, I was a tiny bit excited. Freakin' curiosity! I wasn't even a cat, but it was going to kill me. Adventures only ended badly, I told myself. I had the scars to prove it. Why did I even care? I didn't owe anyone anything, and I'd been careful to keep it that way. Yet here I was, becoming one of those dime-a-dozen charity cases. Life's funny that way, huh?

"Yep, I promise. Now let's go find 'em before the local nightlife does."

She grabbed my hand and pulled me forward so fast I nearly dropped my weapon. I almost tripped over a crack in the pavement, but managed to avoid a faceplant.

"Hurry!"

I guess she'd taken my nightlife comment to heart.

I took a quick look over my shoulder. The alleyway had turned black, but the coast was clear. Nothing but a rusted garbage bin and a broken flowerpot. We were lucky, I guess. I tried to remind myself of that as I attempted to keep up with Heather, who was surprisingly fast.

"Calm down! They're safe, I was exaggerating!"

She slowed her frantic pace, but we were still moving briskly. I really couldn't blame her. The alleys were creepy in the day, but all those looming shadows and empty buildings turned horror movie by night. And this was coming from someone who'd lived there for over five years. Maybe I _did_ need a vacation. Ugh! He was affecting me. I had to shake it off.

At last we made it out of the darkened crevice. A streetlight flickered, illuminating the dirty street corner. Only a few cars were on the road now, bright red trails of light giving away their location in the hazy dusk. No dogs. So far we were safe, or at least not in imminent danger. Safety was relative around these parts.

"Guys? Dad?"

Heather looked around, panic sinking in. No answer.

"We're over here," a voice said. It was coming from under a dead shrub. They crawled out, causing the skeleton-like branches to move. From the looks of it, Heather had a big family. Like, really big.

"I found someone you need to meet! I think we-"

She was cut off by one of her supposed family members. They looked more like a cheap petting zoo, to be honest. Another possum, a turtle, a skunk, porcupines, a squirrel and... Grumpy Cat's fat cousin?

"Drop the blade, thief!" Grumpy Cat's cousin was actually grumpy. Hmm.

I was about to tell him that I had no desire to steal his cat treats, but I never got the chance. The skunk was giving me a death glare, and I had no idea why.

"All right, you're asking for it!" She turned around. My eyes widened. Was she gonna...

"Stella don't! She's not a thief! She's my friend." Stella considered the raccoon for a second.

"I am not your friend!" I exclaimed.

He slapped his hand over his face in frustration. "Just go with it!"

I took his advice, and not because I agreed with him. Getting skunked was the last thing I needed, and pretty much the last thing I _wanted_ as well. Talk about gross!

Stella moved away, but she still eyed me suspiciously. Paranoid much?

Heather was obviously ashamed by the whole outburst, but she didn't let it bring her down for long.

"Listen guys! This is Jade, and really, she's not a thief! She lives here, and she agreed to help us get to the campground."

I felt everyone staring at me. Great. If there's one thing living in a literal war zone had taught me, it was that any attention was bad attention.

"Cool! She has a knife!"

It was one of the seemingly identical porcupine kids, and the others appeared to be equally excited. They certainly weren't locals, a pocketknife was _nothing_ here. Great, oblivious tourists. That was even better. Not.

"That's great. Heather, where exactly did you find this _Jade?_" It was the turtle this time, and he seemed even more skeptical than Stella, albeit a bit less scary.

Heather smiled innocently. "In the alley. She set off a rat trap and I asked her to, like, help us find our way to the campground. At first she didn't want to, but I convinced her it was a good idea."

I liked Heather, but her description of me made me sound like a psycho with a hatred of rodents.

"That's, well, that's very reassuring. You can tell Jade we don't need her help." His voice was stern, and Heather closed her eyes sadly.

"Wait. I've known Jade for years. She's a little bit cold, but she's trustworthy. And she knows this place like the back of her hand. She really could help us." Blue eyes met mine. It was a peace offering of sorts, but I couldn't quite figure out the reasoning.

Why was that idiot sticking up for me? Probably some cat and mouse guilt trip game, I'd seen that one a hundred times.

"Oh really?" This _reptile_ deserved a critic of the year award.

I stepped forward, my knife now disguised in it's hilt.

"Yes. Why would I kill you? There's nothing to gain from that, and I'm not _heartless_!"

I looked around, all the eyes studying me. Trying to tell if I was lying, I guessed. A moth flew by my face and slammed into the streetlight. Graceful. I hoped it wasn't a sign of things to come. I looked down at the gum-stained pavement under my feet, noticing faint initials in the concrete.

How exactly had I ended up here? Surely it was a nightmare, or some sick prank. Had I really just traded my freedom for what appeared to be a bad web-show come to life? And on top of all that, they hated me and probably thought I was going to kill them. _As if_. Rather counter-productive to my plan, if you know what I mean.

I attempted to lighten the mood, or at least stop the distrustful glances. Unfortunately my words came out far more caustic than I'd intended.

"Try to focus on the less horrible aspects. No one here has to _die_."

As soon as I said the last phrase, the older possum fell over. I sighed. This was off to a great start. He'd either died just to prove me wrong, or I'd pushed buttons I hadn't even known existed. Either way, I was I was more or less screwed. I swore was going to murder curiosity one of these days.

_Author's note part II: What's gonna happen next? Well, I can't tell you! What I can say is that things get serious and you won't want to miss it. Stay tuned, awesome possum! And don't forget to fave and follow if you enjoy :)_


	5. The Orphan's Den

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

_Author's note: Back again with the last pre-NaNo update. I'm kinda freaking out, but whatever. Wish me luck, guys! On a side note, HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Have a great one and gimme your candy! :3 NMR_

_Mouseygirl1411: Lol yeah Jade has some issues, I freely admit it. I'm glad you like the way I write Heather, she's my favourite character! Jade's mean to RJ for more than one reason, but you'll have to keep reading to find out why. This chapter will be exploring a bit more of the city and it's locations, as well as dealing with the danger factor. Once again thanks for the review._

The Orphan's Den

_Heather_

I shook my head as I watched the others argue. Somehow their skepticism had turned into _this._ I didn't know how, and I didn't want to. Crossing my arms, I moved closer to the edge of the street.

It was nearly pitch black, the only light provided by the dull flicker of the streetlight. The glass was dirty, and a few bugs flapped around it. Shadows from nearby buildings seemed to come alive in the dark, shifting ever so slightly. It was creepy, but everyone else was too busy starting World War Three to care. Typical.

I watched them, not wanting to get involved. Verne, Stella and Lou were arguing loudly, while Penny chased after the kids, who were trying (and succeeding) at annoying Tiger. They chased after the chubby cat, his fur now all puffed up. Hammy had run off somewhere, probably looking for the nuts. He'd taken their loss hard, almost as hard as our home itself. I rolled my eyes, laughing a bit at the distressed Tiger.

There was a loud noise, and I turned around to see who'd made it. The alley was empty, or at least it appeared to be. I shrugged and turned away. Jade was standing in the shadows, watching the darkened corner with suspicious eyes. I instinctively moved closer to the others. My arm brushed against the lamppost, and I jerked it back quickly.

RJ had been tearing through his bag, throwing random objects everywhere. I ducked to avoid one, but Jade wasn't so lucky. A small plastic troll hit her in the face. She jumped up and had it pinned under her knife in seconds. Eyes wild, she surveyed the area. That wasn't creepy or disturbing, not at all.

As soon as she'd realized the plastic toy wasn't about to kill her, she'd fixed her eyes on RJ and given him a death glare. Blade still drawn, she marched toward him, rage written all over her features. I made a mental note never to troll Jade. She meant business, apparently. Maybe Verne had been right about her after all...

She was screaming at him, waving the troll around as though it was some sort of magic wand. If it was, she'd have probably used every Unforgivable spell in the book. The flying troll bounced shadows everywhere, and it looked pretty weird. She eventually stopped, but her voice was still rough, though she'd dropped her weapon. He was trying to calm her down, smiling tightly and backing away from the crazy raccoon girl.

My eyes drifted away from the scene back to the others. Unlike the raccoons, they seemed to have overcome their problems. My dad was with them, being dramatic as ever. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he was gesturing wildly to the scraggly bush and looked pretty freaked out. As I got closer, I could hear he was going on about what we'd do overnight.

"It's almost midnight! What are we going to do? We can't just sit here and wait for certain doom!" My dad clutched at his chest, and I think we all knew what would come next.

Stella had joined the gathering, her hands on her hips. "He's got a point, Verne. We can't just sit out here 'til morning."

"_We_ can stay up!" Spike said, grinning mischievously.

"Yeah!" His brothers said, each waving around a stick. Great, they now wanted to be Jade. I sighed, but I couldn't help smiling.

Penny and Lou were trying to conrol them, and Lou took the sticks away. They were whining loudly, but you could tell they were a bit tired. Penny looked expectantly at Verne, awaiting an answer.

He smiled nervously, fussing with his shell.

"Guys, calm down. We'll find a place to sleep. No one will be staying up all night, ok?"

There was a chorus of "aww" from the porcupines, but the others seemed to be a bit relieved. Truthfully I liked staying up, but after all the walking we'd done, I was ready for bed.

I'd been walking toward Verne to ask him where we'd be sleeping, but I stopped in my tracks. There was a loud growling coming from across the road. Everyone turned their head toward the sound. I shivered. Whatever that thing was, it was nasty.

Jade immediately stopped arguing with RJ, and despite the ominous threat, he looked somewhat relieved. Jade wasted no time grabbing her knife. She stepped forward, eerily calm. Her shoulders were back, and she met the challenge with an unblinking stare. The road was empty, not a car in sight. A dark shape moved, but I couldn't quite see what it was. What I did know was that it was big, much bigger than any of us.

I crept back , careful not to move too quickly. No one made a sound. We all stood silently, transfixed by the 'monster' in front of us. It moved closer, and Jade tensed up, cursing under her breath. Hopefully Verne hadn't heard that one, because it certainly wasn't a point in her favor.

She kept her eyes on it, the dull light illuminating her blade. Turning slightly toward us, she hissed quietly.

"Listen to me," her voice was cold, demanding, "there's a feral dog across that road. I'll spare you the gory details, but if it reaches any of you, it's too late."

My hands shook. _Too late._ I didn't want to think about that now. I blinked quickly, never losing sight of the shape.

Jade sighed, her eyes flicking away from the dog momentarily. She grimaced, her bitterness evident.

"As much as it kills me to say this, I'll need your help." I was pretty sure she was looking at RJ, but the lighting made it difficult to tell.

He looked confused. "Me?"

She rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to the dog.

"Duh. I need you to take them to the Orphan's Den. The entrance is too small for a dog to get in."

She spat the word 'dog' as though it was a curse. My nails were digging into my hands, yet I didn't care. Bad memories came flooding back, but I ignored them as best I could.

The feral dog had gotten closer. I could see it's hideous, grizzled face and yellow teeth. It's eyes reflected an ugly green in the dim light, looking almost ghostlike. I stepped back, horrified. I looked away, not wanting that image burned in my mind.

My dad was still standing, a shocking fact considering how dangerous the situation was. Penny was trying to calm her kids, and Hammy had covered his eyes with his tail. I hoped with all my heart they wouldn't move. I didn't know much about dogs, but I did know that staying as still as possible was the best thing you could do, especially in a situation like this.

I could hear Jade talking, but I hadn't been listening.

"Yeah, I know. Just get them inside." Her voice was a harsh whisper, no one wanted to be too loud.

RJ had inched a bit closer to her. "What about you?"

Her grip tightened on the knife.

"Who do you think is gonna buy you time, idiot?"

His eyes widened a bit. "It'll kill you!"

"_Right_," she said sarcastically, "I've been training to do this for three years. Now get going!"

Her words snapped everyone back into motion. My dad nearly fell over, but Stella caught him and he perked back up. I looked around wildly. No one had told us where to go!

"Where is this place?" I asked, running after the others.

RJ pointed to a run-down red brick storefront. Only a few letters still clung to the sign, which creaked in the breeze. It looked scary, but it beat being dog food. What didn't?

We all ran forward, tripping over each other and trying not to fall. I was nearly impaled by a porcupine quill, but luckily I escaped. We weren't very far from the building, and I was grateful for that. I stepped on a rock and nearly fell, but I grabbed hold of someone's arm and caught myself. For a brief moment I looked back. Jade was still there, knife in hand.

"Come and get it." She muttered.

Quickly I resumed my race to safety. It took a minute, but at last we reached the storefront. The window was dusty and covered in cobwebs, but at least it wasn't broken. It was too dark to see inside, but it was definitely abandoned. The door was heavily boarded up and bolted in place. There was no way in.

I squinted, looking for a hidden opening, or at least a clue. There were names written in the dust, as well as human handprints. A sign clung to the door, it's letters faded. "For Lease", whatever that meant.

While I'd been reading, RJ had located the entrance. There was one board that was loose, apparently. The rusted hinges squeaked loudly as he opened it, but thankfully it did open. I thought I could see carving on the outside, but it was way too dark to look inside, let alone read it.

RJ held the door open while we tumbled inside. It was a tight fit, and Tiger nearly got stuck. It took me, Hammy and Stella to pull him through. Normally I would have laughed, but I was too scared right now. The door flap slammed closed, signalling everyone had made it inside. Verne did a head count, and we were all safe. I let out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. That was more than a close call.

I sat in the dusty old building, my eyes slowly adjusting to the looming darkness. The floor was cold against my fur, and sprinkled with a thick layer of dust. Whoever owned this place was NOT a neat freak, that was for sure.  
I could hear everyone breathing, and occasionally caught a glimpse of motion. No one spoke, we all stood in silence, shifting awkwardly in the strange environment.

I couldn't take the quiet much longer. Time dragged by, but I had no way of knowing if it was minutes or hours. It felt like torture. All I wanted was to get out of here and reach the stupid campground already, dogs or no dogs.

"If she doesn't come back, how will we know if it's safe to slip out?" I asked, trying to get a glimpse of the outside through a crack in the boarded window. No one dared stand in front of the display window for fear of being seen by the dog.

He turned away from the broken window, a trace of artificial light illuminating the beat-up hardwood floor. There was no point looking out, it was night and we were too far to see anything. The only proof that outside existed was the flicker of the streetlight and the occasional car. Otherwise, I might have believed it wasn't real.

He closed his eyes and turned back to the window, blocking the light once again.

"She'll come back. She has to."

I was going to respond, but I was cut off by Stella.

"I don't wanna interrupt, but can someone here get the flashlight?"

Her voice bounced around the empty room, nearly echoing.

After a moment RJ had hopped down from his perch at the window. A minute later I could hear him searching through his bag, as well as the occasional thump of something being thrown around. Eventually a thin bluish light filled the room. It was surprisingly bright.

Looking around, I realized the place really was empty. Other than an old shoe and a broken mirror, it had been stripped bare. I relaxed a little. Nothing could hide here. At least for now, we were safe.

It seemed the kids had found their video game. Electronic beeps and car sounds filled the room. Shrugging, I walked over to join them. The adults were speaking in hushed voices, well, except my dad. He was as loud as ever. Hammy had found a bag of chips and was munching away happily. The only one not in the group was RJ. He had gone back to the window, once again staring into the night.

I grabbed hold of the game, nearly beating the high score. After a while I crashed, causing the kids to laugh.

"Yeah yeah, very funny." I said jokingly.

For a moment, it was like we were still at home, back when winning a video game was the most important thing you could do. I knew it was too good to last, but I promised to enjoy it while I had it.

_Author's note part II: Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. I apologize for the sluggish update lol, I've been busy. If you like this story, please fave, follow and review! It's all very appreciated, but don't flame, please. Thanks, y'all. Now, where is that candy? ~NMR_


	6. Bandaids and Other Temporary Fixes

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

_Anianianimal: Thanks! I'm pretty sure the story loves you too lol. And I figure if you're reading ANY fanfic in this section you love animals. Otherwise ? Thanks for the awesome review, fave and follow. You are freakin' amazing and your support means a ton. Seriously. XD_

_Unnamed-Right: That is probably the most touching compliment I have gotten on any of my stories. It was my favourite movie as a kid and I only hope I can do it justice. So long as we keep reading, writing and watching it'll live on. Live fandom, live dangit! Thanks again for the encouragement._

_Also a note to any return readers as well as those just discovering this story: Thank you for letting me tell my story and bringing it to life in your imagination. Y'all rock! ~NMR_

Bandaids and Other Temporary Fixes (Chapter 6)

_Jade _

Supposedly facing death is an enlightening moment that will change you forever, blah blah blah. Hipster poets these days, they're so overly dramatic. If sixty pounds of hideous, possibly rabid dog is enlightening, I'll stay in the dark, thanks.

Like any good fight, it started with a staring match. I stood in the dingy parking lot, illuminated by the security light on the nearby building wall. My fur moved slightly in the evening breeze, but otherwise I was completely still. I puffed out my chest, eyes narrow. My grip on the knife was tight, maybe even too tight. I was pretty sure there'd be claw marks in the black plastic after this one. A grocery bag drifted through the empty concrete pad, but I didn't break eye contact.

The dog was just as still, its head lowered, teeth bared. One of its ears was ripped off, scars cut through the black fur. The lights of the city reflected in its cloudy eyes, giving it a crazed expression. Great, like it wasn't ugly enough.

I was the one to break the calm, stepping forward, blade shining in the artificial glow. The dog took that as a signal that it had begun. It charged toward me, nails clicking on the pavement. I slid out of the way easily, hiding behind a tire. It stopped, looking around.

"Over here, Mange-face!" I taunted, poking my head out from behind the old tire. Grabbing onto the dusty rubber, I jumped behind the confused creature.

It snarled, teeth snapping. I imitated it, though I probably sounded more like a dying motorboat. I took a swipe at its leg, but I barely nicked any skin. It was enough to turn it into a killer drool monster, unfortunately. I scrambled towards a metal trash bin, climbing up in record speed, and almost slipping twice. It managed to scratch my leg, but that was nothing more than a mild inconvenience.

"I always knew cats were smarter!"

The dog slammed into the thin metal bin. The noise echoed through the nearby alleyways, disorienting both of us. The wall of the bin shook from the impact and I almost swan-dived right on the dog's face. _That_ would have ended well. Not.

I stood on the ledge, contemplating my next move. I could jump straight on top of the dog, but that had a very high chance of failure. My best chance would be to sneak through the hole rusted out at the bottom of the bin. Surprise would be a big help here. It's not that I doubted my skill, but I wanted to come out of this in decent shape. I could experiment later. I jumped down and slipped out unnoticed, now standing about a foot in front of the grey brick wall.

The wind picked up, plastic bag rustling once again. It was now on the other side of the lot, near the Orphan's Den. The old sign had lost two more letters, though it still creaked loudly.

I was about to turn around when movement caught my eye. Standing in the dusty storefront window was an animal, one from the 'tour guide situation'. I had specifically told them to avoid the window! The dogs _loved_ tourists, and glass was very little of a deterrent to them. My eyes focused. Masked face, ring tail, blue eyes. His hands were pressed up against the cobwebby glass. Bad news, and not just for the local spiders.

I shook my head and pointed to the boarded-up side, trying to tell him to move. It looked like he was imitating me, the loser! There was a loud growl from beside me, and I only got a glimpse of Stella pulling him away from the window before everything was spinning.

I hit the brick wall, knocking the air from my lungs. Everything I saw was hazy, even the black form in front of me. The image of the Orphan's Den was crystal clear, but I forced it away. I fumbled for my knife, waiting for my eyesight to clear. My hand eventually felt the cool smoothness of my blade amongst the concrete rubble, and I pulled it towards me.

After a few seconds my eyesight was back to normal. The dog hovered over me, ready to make that final pounce. Not on my watch, ugly.

I slashed at its nose, not caring about accuracy. My right wrist was scraped and didn't seem to work properly, so I had to use my left hand. The knife felt heavy in my grip, but I kept going. Eventually I cut deep enough to make the dog jump back. It yelped loudly, pawing at its face. It was no stranger to fights, and that wouldn't hold it for long. I had to plan my next move, and _fast_.

I narrowed my eyes, trying to ignore the rapidly-increasing pain in my wrist. The dog's eyes widened, and it looked away from me. A minute later it ran off, scruffy fur blowing in the wind. I was suddenly blinded by lights, and I could hear the crunch of something heavy on worn-out pavement. It was a rather generic-looking white truck, a ladder strapped to the roof. I watched, wondering what was going on.

The door flew open and a human climbed out. He looked to be in his late teens, with a loose, dirty navy outfit and greasy blond hair. He trudged over to a huge garbage container, slamming the bag on the ground. He was muttering to himself about minimum wage and work hours, dragging the bag along the ground. It was rather pathetic and funny, and I laughed.

He turned in my direction, still gripping the trash. Upon seeing me, he shook his fist.

"Get outta here, pest!"

Now that was offensive! I stepped forward, glaring at him defiantly. He swung the bag of trash at me, but I didn't move. Instead, I stuck out my tongue and waved _my_ fist at _him_.

"Yeah, screw you too, stupid human!"

I made another face before turning away. Out of curiosity, I looked back for a second.

He was loading the trash into the truck and rubbing his head.

"I've been doing this too long..." he mumbled, slamming the back of the truck shut.

I laughed hard at that one, and it almost made me forget about the awful pain. Shaking my head, I left the parking lot. Once I'd reached a more secluded alley, I sat down. I sorted through my leather pouch, hoping to find _something_ to help my wrist. I knew almost nothing about even the most basic medical care. I had never been the compassionate healer type, and I'd never bothered to learn. Stupid, Jade. Really stupid. Knowing the basics wouldn't have turned me into some self-sacrificing Nightingale.

I found nothing useful in my pouch. There was the mirror shard, me and Blake's photo, a firecracker and a few less interesting things, but nothing for an injury, unless I wanted to blow it right off. Sighing, I dumped it all back inside. The sky was clear, and for a moment I just watched the stars. The lights of the city were competing for attention, blurring together into one iridescent May night. It was almost pretty, if you didn't look too close at the crumbling walls and dilapidated buildings.

I stayed there for a while, contemplating what to do. The dog had gotten away, and it was now fully aware of the 'tourists' as well as my location. Once one knew, it would inform the other thirty or so. They'd obviously investigate it, and it didn't help I already had a bit of a history with the pack leader. No, that was certainly a _bad_ thing.

They would definitely be back. I had to get the others out of here before they found us. I'd seen the damage once, it wasn't happening again. I didn't know these animals, but saving them was a way of getting back at the dogs. And as annoying as they could be, they didn't deserve to die. Under other circumstances I think we could have been friends. Especially Heather, who reminded me so much of Blake. As for the less likeable one, I wasn't going to think about that idiot. Even _he_ didn't deserve it. That was saying something.

I tried to work out a plan. If I told them the truth, they'd freak out. Any hint of trust we had would be broken, and they wouldn't listen to me. That would almost certainly end in a messy way. I had to keep the whole thing a secret. I was beyond angry at myself for letting that dog escape, and I'd have to do damage control as soon as I could. Until then, I'd tell them I finished off the dog and conveniently forget to mention the gang part, or my bad blood with the leader. It was for the best.

I stood up, pushing the blade of my knife back in the hilt. I walked the rest of the way back to the Orphan's Den, watching lights flicker and cars rush by. Between the cracks of the sidewalk, a small blue flower had sprouted up. I had no idea how something so delicate had broken through concrete, it was strange. I stepped over it.

The old door looked the same as ever except for the sign flapping in the wind. I grabbed the rusted handle of the 'secret door', rolling my eyes when it squeaked loudly. That hadn't changed.

"Who's there?" It was Verne of course, who seemed to be their leader.

"Knock knock," I said, "I'm an evil monster here to eat your brains." My voice was incredibly flat and sarcastic, and I tried to hide any trace of something suspicious.

"Not funny, you know."

I ignored him, slamming the door shut. I moved over to an unoccupied corner and sat down, setting down my knife. The room was rather bright thanks to someone's flashlight, and I could hear what sounded like a video game. It was better than silence at least.

Looking around to make sure no one was watching, I examined my wrist. I could move my fingers, so it wasn't broken. That didn't make it hurt any less, but it was something. The scrape was messy, but not serious. I took a deep breath and tried moving it again. I hadn't experienced anything this painful in years, not since a bad training accident with a lawn gnome. No, don't ask.

"Wow, that looks painful. Lemme see it."

It was Heather. She looked both concerned and a bit grossed out. I couldn't blame her. It was a mess.

"It's nothing."

She looked away, not wanting to stare at it.

"You should still get someone to fix it up though, it's nasty!"

I laughed in spite of myself.

"Sure is."

She walked away, turning around for a moment to speak.

"I'm gonna get some stuff for it, I'll be back."

I nodded grudgingly. There was no stopping her, it seemed. I was too worn out to care right now anyway. Arguing seemed like too much effort for what it was worth. I fussed with the straps on my leather pouch because there was really nothing better to do. The place had been looted, obviously. It used to have a lot of cool stuff, but not anymore.

A loud car noise caught my attention. The three porcupine kids were still playing their game, slamming down the buttons. It was kind of amusing, honestly. If nothing else it was a good distraction from the whole dog situation.

Finally Heather returned, dragging someone along with her. Oh _no._

"Hold up, I don't think I ordered anything from the Idiot Express."

He tried to turn around, but Heather continued to drag the raccoon over.

"Jade!" she said, sounding frustrated.

I smiled innocently, though I'm pretty sure it fell flat. Really, what else could go wrong here?

"Look, no offense Heather, but I really don't want to deal with a stupid know-it-all right now, or ever."

Heather sighed and walked away, joining the porcupine kids. From the sounds of it, she was having a lot of fun with that game. Good for her, I guess. I was having _anything_ but an enjoyable time.

"Isn't that a contradiction? I can't be stupid _and_ a know-it-all."

He was grinning when he said it. I wanted to punch him.

"_Why_ did I save your life again?" I asked sarcastically, trying my best to look away.

"Because you know you couldn't live without me."

That _face_! I could kill him. I picked up my knife again, knowing full well I wasn't going to use it. Still, it's not like I didn't _want_ to. I couldn't even figure out the right comeback. I hated this.

"Shut up." I turned away, giving him the cold shoulder. The faded green wall behind me was dull, but I stared at it like it held the answer to the universe. You know, maybe it did.

"So do you want me to fix it up, or just leave it to get infected?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Infection never sounded better."

"Suit yourself." He shrugged, walking away.

I looked at my wrist again. It was pretty messed up, I had to admit. Still, it would probably hurt less than my ego. There was only one real problem... Without my right hand, I was pretty bad at fighting. That was dangerous enough, but how was I going to keep the dogs away? Fragmented images of a day I had tried to forget filled my mind. Fur on concrete. Running, blurring, faded. Echo, screaming. I reached out.

_"No."_

He turned around, looking at me once again. Had they heard me?

"I mean, wait. Just clean it up, I'm gonna need to be in good shape for this whole tour guide thing."

It killed my pride, saying that. Pride. What a stupid yet incredibly important thing it was.

"I knew you'd warm up eventually! Just as stubborn as ever, but at least you're not picking fights with fair security any more, Jaded Lady."

He had to go and remind me of _that_ incident. It was only second to the gnome accident. Idiot.

"Don't call me that."

"'K then, Jadey. Now hold out your arm, and stay still. And no, slapping me in the face is not staying still."

I mumbled something rude and eventually did what he asked. It hurt like crazy, but there was no way I was gonna let him see that. So I bit my tongue and held still, glaring daggers and telling myself that no, this wasn't more painful than the dog attack itself.

I figured I'd end up looking like Frankenstein, but he was actually pretty good at patching me up. Ugh, did I just think that? It was still painful, but at least he was trying to make it less so. I flinched once, but other than that I managed to avoid doing any more damage to my dying pride.

After it was finally finished, I looked down, studying what had been done to me. It was bandaged in white gauze, but held together by pink leopard tape. It _had_ to be leopard. I sighed. At least it hurt less.

"As long as you don't move it too much, it should be good in three days." Was that a hint of concern in those blue eyes?

"Does beating you up count?"

He smiled. "Yep."

Of course. That would be way too tempting. "Thanks, I guess," I muttered, "not that I needed it."

"Sure, sure."

I walked to the other side of the room, avoiding the group of animals. Maybe I didn't want them to die, but I wasn't about to join in their family conversation. I didn't fit in there, and I didn't want to. All alone was where I belonged, and it suited me just fine. Besides, this was just a way of getting revenge on the dogs. Nothing else.

I curled up in the corner by the dusty window. The streetlights were still glowing, but no cars drove past. Everyone else was going to sleep, telling each other goodnight. How sentimental. I polished my knife, since I wasn't tired and couldn't sleep anyway. Someone had to keep watch, and I didn't trust any of them. To be honest, I was bored. And the cat with the snoring problem wasn't exactly helping, either.

They all looked so peaceful, so oblivious. Comical even. Did they know what they'd gotten into? Probably not, and if all went well, they never would. I watched them, trying to figure out what I was dealing with here.

Heather and her father were asleep on the floor, since there was nothing for them to hang from. I had no experience as a possum, but it looked a bit uncomfortable. Hammy was kicking around, not even able to sit still while sleeping. The porcupine kids were lying in a heap, despite their plans to stay up all night. I was pretty sure their parents were grateful. Beside them was Grumpy Cat's fat cousin, still snoring loud enough to wake the dead. Verne had retreated into his shell, and I noted that everyone was at least two feet away from Stella. Hint taken.

And of course there was RJ. His arm was flung haphazardly over the stupid golf bag that he loved to drag around. Without the obnoxious smile, he wasn't repulsive. Maybe even _cute_. WHAT? Wow, I must have _really_ smashed my head on that brick wall. Maybe I had brain damage or something. Nasty.

I went back to shining my knife. By the end of the night that blade would be so reflective I wouldn't need my mirror shard. I looked out the window, watching those faded, flickering lights. I just hoped it'd be enough to change the ending on this freak show of a story.

_AN: Hope you liked it, and review if you can. Don't forget to fave and/or follow as well if you like it. Thanks y'all!_


	7. You Can't Be Too Careful Anymore

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

_Author's note: There's not all that much to say except thanks to all my return readers, followers, faves and reviewers. Also anyone just giving this story a chance now who's stuck around this long, you're cool. I hope you like the chapter!_

_Mouseygirl1411: Thanks for reviewing again lol. Of all the characters in this story, Heather is the safest, so I wouldn't worry too much about her. As for a couple of others, well... you'll find out later XD Jade is not the type to fall in love, so be patient haha. I'm glad you think the dogs are scary, it means I've done a good job. I think it'a super cute you ship 'em! What a compliment! This is a Heather chapter, but in the next one I'll try and add a little fluff for you, kk? Thanks again!_

_Bobbie1776: Can I just say that when I got your review alert in my email I sat there grinning like an idiot for five minutes? Seriously XD And don't worry, you won't go insane, I'll continue until the story is done... And most likely the sequel as well! I'm so glad you like Jade, it seems like a lot of people had a problem with her attitude lol. If she was real she'd think you were awesome too. Here is the update, which I dedicate to all my readers and especially to you guys who've reviewed, faved and followed! _

You Can't Be Too Careful Anymore (Chapter 7)

_Heather _

I could feel my heartbeat pounding away in my chest, a reminder that I was alive. Silver fog hung around me, its cool embrace causing me to shiver. I couldn't see more that five feet in front of me, it was too dark and hazy. It was raining, the tiny water droplets making my fur feel damp and heavy.

A strange form moved amongst the darkness, causing mist to swirl in its wake. Something was very wrong here, I sensed. Almost like a memory I'd forgotten, leaving nothing but a lingering imprint behind. Almost knowing was a thousand times worse than not knowing in my opinion.

I reached out, only to find there was something in my hand. Jade's pocketknife, or at least I thought it was hers. It was cold, the smooth plastic cutting into my grip. Blood dotted the tip, dripping down before being lost in the strands of fog creeping across the ground.

The fog parted to reveal glowing red eyes. I could almost feel the hate burning inside of them like flickering embers. The creature stepped forward, seeming to glide through the smoky surroundings. A wolf-like face, pointed ears. It was tall, towering over me. It was difficult to tell where the fog ended and the thing began. I'd never seen anything like it. A monster?

It bared its teeth, perfect white daggers tipped in red. The situation seemed hopeless, but I wasn't going down without trying. My hands trembled as I formed an idea in my mind. It wasn't great, but it was my best shot. My fingers pressed against the glossy black handle, the silver blade reflecting those burning red eyes.

I tried to imitate the effortless grace of Jade's attack, but the knife felt heavy in my hand and the plastic was slippery from the rain. I swung, just a little off balance. The blade was speeding toward the thing, glittering in the unnatural light. I expected a direct hit and loosened my grip to avoid getting hurt. The knife ghosted through the creature's face, flying out of my hand and landing on the ground with a metallic thump.

I froze, not sure what to do. Taunting laughter filled my ears.

"She's gone, Heather. It's your turn to play hero now."

The voice bounced around, seemly coming from nowhere. I turned, looking for its source. Big mistake. The monster stalked forward, grabbing me. I screamed, the sound echoing through the empty mist...

...

My eyes shot open. White ceiling, cobwebby green walls. Sunlight shone on my face, warming my fur. Squinting, I focused more on my surroundings. I could hear my dad and Verne talking about something unimportant. Someone was yelling, probably Jade. I was safe. It had all been a nightmare. A horribly realistic one, but still just a dream. I sat up, brushing the dust off of myself and almost sneezing. They really needed a duster around here. Heck, they needed an entire cleaning team!

The others were arguing about something, their raised voices filling the empty room. It sounded intense, and I decided to investigate. Penny was sitting off to the side with her kids, trying to play the video game. From their laughter and the occasional muttering of "jeepers", I was pretty sure she wouldn't be breaking my high score any time soon.

Standing up, I stretched as best I could. Sleeping on the ground was uncomfortable enough when it was grass. This hardwood stuff was torture! I moved away from the huge spiderweb that I must have slept beside, trying not to think of where the spider could be lurking.

Verne and RJ were bickering over what sounded like wild dogs and the dangers they posed. Everyone else was involved, even my dad, who was remarkably still standing someone despite the fact someone had said "die".

The only one not with the group was Jade, which seemed odd considering the subject of the discussion. She was sitting alone in a corner, watching the entire thing. Her eyes were bloodshot, staring blankly ahead. She looked stressed out and tired. Her wrist had been wrapped in something white, so at least she'd been reasonable about her injury. I did wonder about her attitude though. There was something going on between her and RJ, I just wasn't sure exactly _what _that something was.

"There's no way we can spend another week here. It's too dangerous!" Verne complained, pacing back and forth in front of the boarded window.

"And the humans aren't?" Lou argued, nodding in agreement with something Stella had said.

"It's just a week, we've made it through the worst part anyway." RJ said, shrugging.

Verne frowned, glaring at RJ. Behind them, Hammy was pouring an entire bottle of butter flavoring on the popcorn we were supposed to have for breakfast. I guess that was one way of making sure you got it all for yourself. I couldn't help giggling a bit.

Jade strode over to the others, her steely grey eyes fixed on RJ.

"A week? Are you freakin' kidding me? It'll take at least two, and that's _if_ you're lucky."

Everyone was staring at him, and no one was smiling. Even Hammy had dropped the butter flavor and was now watching the others, trying to figure out what had happened while he'd been busy.

"You promised!" Verne said, stepping closer.

RJ smiled nervously at them, looking from the enraged turtle, to the angry porcupines, the eerily calm skunk and the knife-wielding raccoon. All of them looked ready to murder him. I stepped back, not wanting to get caught up in it.

"Yeah, I know. The city's gotten way bigger, and I had no idea it was like this. It's not the end if the world, you know!" He pointed at the crumbling structures and highway outside.

Jade laughed, casually leaning on her knife. At least someone was having fun, I guess.

"I'm not involved in this fight, but if you want I'll beat him up... To prove your point, of course." She offered, still propped up on her weapon.

"No one is beating anyone up!" Verne said, though by the look on his face he'd at least _considered_ her offer.

Flipping the knife over her shoulder, she smirked at RJ as he stuttered out excuses.

"If you actually want to reach the campground, we should ditch this place. When it's light out we only have to worry about cars and humans. "

She said it as though cars and humans were just an annoyance, nothing else.

Verne was still frowning, but I think he realized at this point we didn't really have a choice. Going back wasn't an option, and there was no way anyone would stay at the Orphan's Den. Well, the spiders would. Hopefully.

"Look, we'll leave, ok? You're all insane!" He turned around, heading for the door. We followed him, leaving behind the butter soup. I guess we'd have breakfast later, not that I was particulary upset about that. I loved butter flavoring, but even I had limits!

Jade held the door for everyone except RJ. She slammed it in his face and walked away mumbling a fake-sounding "oops". She still carried the knife over her shoulder, though she'd put the blade away. I figured that was a good sign. It looked similar to the one in my dream, but it wasn't the same. I'm not sure why, but I felt relieved about that. Stupid, really but I couldn't quite shake it.

RJ climbed through the door, his hand on his face.

"Did it hit you?" I asked, concerned. Jade was going too far with this rudeness act. At least, I hoped it was an act. I had my own theory about what was going on between them, but I wasn't saying anything.

"No, thankfully. I just don't understand her. I thought maybe we'd gotten somewhere last night, but it looks like we're back to square one." He said, sounding frustrated. He sighed loudly before catching up with the others. I didn't answer, because I didn't think he was talking to me. Or anyone, really.

I joined up with them, taking in all the strange and unfamiliar sights and sounds. I'd never seen anything like it. Cars rushed by, occasionally honking their horns. There were buildings everywhere. Humans walked along the cracked sidewalk, occasionally getting into parked cars. A few yelled at us, but most seemed indifferent. Their clothes were ragged and dirty, and they looked different then the other humans I'd seen near our home. Well, our _old_ home anyway. I had no idea what the humans at the campground looked like.

A lot of the old brick buildings had windows displaying strange objects. Some were new and glossy, but most looked in no better condition than the Orphan's Den. I'd gotten distracted by a mannequin wearing a neon green wig and fallen behind. As I was gazing at the window display, a chubby little boy tried to pick me up. I ran off before he could catch me, a little faster than necessary. His mother scolded him for wandering off, and they went into the wig store holding hands. After that I was a bit more careful not to get separated. It had nothing to do with the nightmare, I swear.

Jade pointed out a few of the more interesting things, like the old cemetery and a burned-out house. The sky was bright blue, and it was quite warm out. A vibrant blue bicycle rushed by, the breeze whipping my fur out of my face. It was actually pretty amazing here, with all the non-stop action. Scary, but exciting. I could almost see why Jade lived here. _Almost_.

A few hours passed, and the beat-up buildings started to get boring. It was more interesting than the suburbs, but not by much. My legs were getting tired and I was hungry. I'd accidently stepped in gum, and my left foot was still sticky no matter what I did. Beside me Penny and Lou were trying to calm down their kids. They felt the same as I did, but they were a million times louder about it. Jade slapped her hands over her ears, looking like she was going to snap.

"Alright fine. We stop here. I need to see if I can get us somewhere to stay for the night anyway. It's not safe in the alleys."

We all sat down at once, grateful for the break. Jade kept a pretty fast pace despite how wiped out she'd looked earlier. I didn't know if she was just in a rush to get the whole thing over with, or if she was showing off, hoping to prove something.

Verne handed out our lunch, though Hammy was still mourning the buttery popcorn disaster. I grabbed mine happily, as did the rest of my family. That hadn't changed, and neither had Tiger's insistence on having seconds.

Jade however, was busy doing other things. She was following RJ around, her hand on her hip.

"Gimme the phone!" She demanded, looking enviously at the silver cell phone he was holding.

"Why?" He asked, a mixture of annoyance and confusion on his face. I couldn't blame him after the door incident earlier.

"Just give it to me!"

She snatched it out of his hand before he could protest. After walking a few feet away, she dialled a number, jabbing at the buttons much harder than she had to.

"Hello?" She asked, her tone defiant.

"Yeah yeah, listen. Can you put me on the list for tonight? Biggest room you got, you won't regret it."

Her eyes widened for a seconds before she frowned and slammed her non-bandaged hand against the nearby red brick wall. Shaking it out, she sighed angrily.

"The rooms are full? Whatever. I know it was you that stole the remote control car!"

She grinned a second later, giving me the thumbs up sign.

"I knew it. Be there by seven, and have it in good shape... Or else."

She pushed down the disconnect button and handed the phone back to RJ. He gave her a skeptical look, but she ignored it and strode back over to us, still grinning slyly.

"And that is how you get a room." She announced, once again leaning on her knife.

Hammy smiled at her. "So you and RJ are getting a room?" He asked innocently, looking happily at the two raccoons.

The knife clattered to the ground and Jade almost fell over. She grabbed the weapon and picked herself back up, dusting off her arm and glaring at the ground.

"What? No! No way!" She shouted, her horrified expression quickly becoming angry.

I couldn't be sure, but I though she might have been blushing under her charcoal grey fur. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she couldn't make eye contact with anyone. It was hilarious, to be honest. Not that I dared to laugh. I didn't have a death wish.

RJ however seemed to think the whole thing was amusing and was a lot more bold about it than I would have been.

"I think you protest too much, Jaded Lady." He said, smiling at her flirtatiously.

"Idiot." She muttered, but she still couldn't look at anyone.

Verne was watching the sky, studying the sun. It was already past noon.

"I think we should get going," he said, "it'll be dark in a few hours and-"

He was cut off by Jade.

"Yeah, let's get outta this waste of space."

We continued on our way, though Jade no longer showed us the city sights. Instead she walked with her head lowered, never even looking at us. Hammy managed to fill the silence by asking "are we there yet?" every fifteen minutes. It added up quickly over a few hours, and I'm pretty sure most of us were getting a bit annoyed, though I found it cute.

Sadly it wasn't enough to distract me. My mind wandered back to the nightmare I'd had last night. It was stupid to care that much about a dream, but it had really scared me. I knew I'd heard that voice before, but I had no idea where. Had I heard it? Or was it something else?

A chill ran down my spine as I remembered the coolness of the mist, the weight of the knife in my hand. It had been so real. _Too_ real. Had it meant something? Of course not, I told myself. It made sense too, after the whole feral dog incident. I pushed it to the back of my mind, making sure I kept up with everyone else. There was no way I was getting left behind again. Not after almost becoming some kid's hamster replacement.

"No, Hammy. We're not there yet." I answered, smiling a bit at his antics. In front of us was a huge half-burnt hotel, all the windows smashed out, curtains flapping in the wind. The brick sides were charred, and a hole had been smashed through the upper half. A weather-stained sign decorated the front.

_The Rosethorn Hotel_.

"Here we are." Jade announced, her voice flat and unreadable.

On second thought, maybe we _were_ there. Suddenly, the Orphan's Den didn't look so bad.

_Authors note part II: So that's it for now. What is up with Heather's weird dream? Who knows! I don't think I'd wanna stay at this hotel though, lol. Stay tuned for the next chapter, and don't forget to fave, follow and review if you enjoyed it. Nyxy out!_


	8. Emotion Sickness

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

_Author's note: Longest chapter yet! An early update since you guys seemed to really want one. The 'fight' scene in this was requested by Bobbie1776... You'll know the one :) I changed it a little, hopefully you still like it! On another note, I've had quite the weekend! I went to my friend's birthday party and had a great time! After that my parent's car broke down and we were stuck on the side of the road for HOURS! It sucked! Anyway I'll shut up now, here's your chapter! ~NMR_

_Bobbie1776: Yay! Heather might be... You'll have to wait and see ;) and that is SUPER AWESOME! I love KFP! Here's your long awaited next chapter, sorry 'bout the delay! :)_

_Mouseygirl1411: You're welcome lol! What about the dream? It could be meaningful, it could be nothing. I can't say if anyone's gonna die, or who... You'll have to wait and see XD Thats Jade for you haha, though I'm glad you still ship them lol. The hotel is based off a real one in my city... Though that one's way more boring! Yay you liked the joke :) and no spoilers, but I think you'll like this chapter!_

Emotion Sickness (Chapter 8)

_Jade_

I stepped closer to the once-familiar building, trying to avoid getting stuck by one of the dirty nails scattered across the rust-stained concrete. Looking up, I was taken aback. The Rosethorn had never been luxury, but it was falling apart faster than that thing humans called an economy.

The bricks were chipped and blackened, a mix of fire damage and the hands of time. The ancient hand-carved door was ajar, strips of turquoise paint moving slightly in the cold breeze. Most of the windows had been smashed out, leaving those empty rooms even more grungy than before. I didn't want to think about what had happened to the swimming pool or waterslide.

Turning to face my audience, I gestured to the pile of rubble thst towered above us. Their reactions ranged from shock to horror and a mix of both. Not a good sign.

"This is the Rosethorn, but we locals call it ol' Rosie-"

I was cut off by a truck barreling down the nearby road, horn blaring. The older possum fell over dramatically, and Heather shook her head in shame.

"As I was saying, this is the local hangout, if you can call it that. I'm gonna go in first and snag our room, you wait here. I don't want anyone starting a fight they can't finish, you hear me?"

A few of them nodded, while others looked around nervously.

"Oh, I can finish a fight!" Stella exclaimed, rolling her eyes. She marched toward the old door.

"I'm sure you can," I said, my voice lacking amusement, "but that'll just get us kicked out."

She sighed, turning around. Grumpy Cat's fat cousin (real name Tiger, apparently) glared icily at me. So they still hated me. Well almost all of them did... And I hated the one who didn't. Why was I doing this again? Revenge... And stupid freakin' curiosity of course.

Ignoring them, I walked carefully to the faded door. Inside I could hear voices, and the occasional sound of something smashing. Well, that part hadn't changed much. I grabbed onto the railing, stepping over a hole in the pavement. The white stone stairs and pillars were covered in powdery lichen, but it beat rusty nails.

Inside I was shocked at how little had changed. The walls were the same, though there were a lot more holes punched through them. It smelled of mildew and cheap perfume, which wasn't surprising considering the occupants. Most were other city-dwellers like myself, given away by their boney frames, shifty glances and varied weapons. There were also a few tourists, those idiots who came to the city looking for romance and glamour. They either learned quick or died young.

On one side of the room was a broken old aquarium now filled with dusty plastic flowers. A few yellowed posters clung to the walls, corners peeling away. The wood paneling had darkened since the last time I'd seen it, but it sure did feel like I'd stepped back in time.

There was an old bar counter on the far side that'd been renovated to work as a check-in desk. The drawers overflowed with old papers, though I doubted the owners of ol' Rosie bothered to keep track of them. Behind the counter was an elderly beaver, Beatrice. She'd worked there for as long as I could remember, though now she was looking a bit more decrepit.

As I walked toward the check-in, I noticed more of the animals. Some were talking, others trying to start a fight. A couple of alley cats, though luckily not the one I'd almost smashed a bottle on. Some rats, a hedgehog. A couple of forest animals, most likely the aforementioned tourists. Another raccoon, and a red fox. My ex. I carefully avoided him, remembering the 'no fights' rule I'd made. Not that I ever listened to rules, but whatever.

Beatrice was bickering with a scrawny rat over prices, her creaky voice surprisingly loud. Don't let her age fool you, she's no dearie. I waited impatiently, shoving another customer out of the way. Looking up, I noticed half the ceiling was collapsed and the air was heavy with dust. Strips of plaster dangled, seemingly ready to fall at any given moment. Freakin' lovely.

I heard someone smash a glass and turned around, wondering what had happened this time. One of the alley cats was fighting with the hedgehog. I sighed, rolling my eyes. A few others joined in, their voices hoarse. Great. If a real fight broke out, they'd shut the place down for the night. There were no other safe hiding spots I was aware of, and I knew all too well what roamed the streets at night. I sighed. The things I did for total strangers and old enemies.

Ripping the bandage off my wrist, I ran into the mix. No one was using weapons yet, but fists were flying. I broke it apart as best I could, slapping the cat across the face for starting such a thing.

Before I could turn around, I was faced by my ex boyfriend, Chase. There was a deep scar slashed through his orangey-red fur, but otherwise he hadn't changed much. He looked both surprised and something I couldn't quite name.

"Jade! Where ya been?"

I shrugged, more interested in the scene behind him.

"Killing feral dogs."

His eyes widened, looking me up and down.

"Really?"

I grinned.

"Yep."

He'd relaxed a lot now, his features as soft as they'd been two years ago. Back then he'd helped me learn the basics of fighting. We'd grown close over smashing training dummies and getting into trouble.

"That's crazy, but I knew you would. Blake would be proud 'o ya!"

My shoulders slumped remembering my lost friend.

"Thanks, I-"

I was interrupted by some idiot shoving me sideways. I whirled around, beyond annoyed. Standing there was RJ, his usual confident smirk looking even more fake than usual. This was gonna end well.

"I though I told you to stay outside with your family, idiot!" I said loudly, an obvious edge creeping through my voice.

He stepped closer to me, ignoring what I'd said.

"Who's this?" He asked, gesturing to Chase, who was now looking as annoyed as I felt.

"A friend." I answered plainly. Why would it matter to him anyway? Besides, he'd met Chase before... Let's just say they hated each other.

"If you say so," he said, his voice smooth, "now let's get a room before the good ones are all taken."

He slipped his arm around my waist ever so gently, and I tried to ignore how fast my heart was racing and how weak my legs suddenly felt. Maybe it was poison... Stupid spies!

"What do you think you're doing with Jade?" Chase asked, his eyes fiery. As much as I wanted to believe they were acting like this because of me, I knew it wasn't true. They'd kill each other for a turnip.

"Exactly what I said." He glanced slyly at the fox, blue eyes flashing. I stepped back, knowing what was gonna come next.

"Oh yeah? I know your type, loser. You just barge in while we were discussing her dead best friend and-"

He was cut off by RJ.

"Dead best friend?" He asked, looking at me strangely.

Chase snorted. "Yeah, Blake. But you hated him too, didn't ya?"

He let go of me, stepping back in surprise. His eyes widened in sympathy. I stared at the ground, hating everything that had happened. I didn't want to think about Blake, at least not in that way.

"I'm sorry, I-I had no idea..."

Once again Chase was on it. Why did I have to be caught between two idiotic rivals?

"Of course not! You probably don't even know her name!"

"Are you kidding? I was friends with her and Blake way before you even knew them! I was her first kiss, too!"

By now half the hotel was crowded around us. Some were snickering and making bets, others yelling "fight" in slurred voices. Even Beatrice was watching, her critical old eyes boring right into me. I tuned out their insults and shouting as best I could, trying to inch away slowly. Don't get me wrong, I like a good fight as much as the next city slicker, but this was plain embarrassing. I was not a part of it and I didn't want to be.

"Knock yourselves out!" I called over my shoulder, shoving through the cheering animals. I kept my head down, hoping to be ignored. I was halfway to the desk when they got even louder. There was a mix of cursing and cheering, most likely the betters.

"That's gotta hurt!" An alley cat yelled, palming some trinket he'd won.

"Poor kid," another one said, "there's a reason no one fights with Chase outside the ring."

Beatrice shook her head, tapping the wooden desk.

"You better go rescue your little boyfriend, I've seen this one too many times." She said, returning her attention to the papers she was shoving in the already overflowing drawer.

"He's not my boyfriend!" I said, feeling my cheeks grow warm.

"_Right_. You'll be the one mopping him off the floor then."

My heart sped up a bit, and once again I pushed through the crowd. A couple of teenagers were re-enacting it, gathering a small group of their peers. One pretended to punch the other, who fell to the floor with a dramatic flair. The others laughed and helped up the kid on the ground.

I felt my hand work it's way to the strap that held my knife, pulling it loose. The plastic was warm, slight scratches remaining from the last time I'd used it. I shoved aside the alley cat, who puffed up and glared at me.

"If ya wanna watch, stand behind me! Should have shown up earlier if you wanted prime viewing. Besides, it's pretty much already won."

I kicked him aside, causing him to topple into a rat. Ignoring their squabbling, I watched the scene in front of me. Chase was waving at the audience like they were his fans, and a lot of them were. He was the leader of the show fighting ring, and pretty good at what he did. I shuddered thinking what he could do to someone without training.

I stepped out in the middle of the crowd, a blur of motion around me. More screaming. To one side was Chase, now casually sharpening his claws and smiling suggestively at a ferret girl in the audience. Yeah, like he cared about me. Not. Anything for the excuse to cause a fight.

On the other side was RJ, who was leaning up against the dusty aquarium of flowers. His hand was on his shoulder and his eyes were closed. I didn't trust myself to look any longer, so I turned my attention to Chase. He was surrounded by his fans. A few weeks ago I would have been one of them. Even a few hours ago. What a loser... they were both losers! I was surrounded by idiots!

Marching up to Chase, I kept my expression fierce and my blade sheathed. It was not going that far. Not tonight, not ever. A few of his followers moved aside, probably waiting for more action. They'd get their wish.

"I knew you'd make the ri-"

He never finished what he was saying. I punched him right in the face, though not hard enough to do any real damage. I didn't need the place getting closed down, and my wrist still wasn't 100% right. He didn't swing back, instead staring at me.

"You learned well..." He muttered, stepping back.

"From one violence-happy moron to another." I said coldly, turning my back on him.

A few animals yelled curses at me, but I didn't care. Behind the counter, Beatrice was smiling knowingly. I kicked a potted plant, watching a couple of fake leaves fall on the stained floor. It didn't take me long to reach the old fish tank, or the raccoon next to it.

"Are you still alive?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, I think so. I had no idea how bad it's gotten-"

I slapped him, though not hard enough to hurt.

"That's for starting a fight, idiot!"

He frowned. "Lovely as usual."

I grimaced, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the desk.

"Don't ever give up on me." I said, a hint of a smile overtaking my otherwise harsh expression.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, looking at me like I was insane.

Honestly I had no idea, so I couldn't answer. I shrugged, maintaining my cool expression. They were staring at me, but I tried not to notice. Beatrice was waiting when I got to the desk. She looked us over, her bitter expression replaced by something slightly less harsh. Slightly.

"Couple's room, right?"

I crossed my arms and glared at her.

"No. The biggest one you got. I believe your receptionist got my call." I couldn't help smiling a bit at the last part.

"Oh, that was _you_," she said, her attitude returning, "you must have a _lot_ of kids."

"No!" I said.

"It's complicated." RJ said, giving an apologetic look to the crazy old beaver.

"Where's the payment?" She demanded, tapping her foot impatiently.

I slid my hand into my leather pouch, feeling for the desired object. It didn't take me long to find it. I pulled out the ring, red jewels glittering in the dim light. She examined it, probably thinking it was a fake.

"It's real." I said, frustrated.

She nodded. "Where'd you get it?"

I hesitated for a second. I couldn't really tell her I'd stolen it from a stupid human, could I?

"It was given to me."

She looked at RJ questioningly. He shook his head, and we both looked equally weirded out.

She bent over, dropping the ring into one of the drawers. From another she pulled out an ornately carved key that was nearly as big as my knife. I took it, surprised by just how _heavy_ the thing was.

"You go get the others, and don't even think of doing anything stupid, or you'll be as beat-up as the walls!" I told him, glancing towards the door.

He walked away, muttering what sounded like "I wouldn't dare" before being lost in the crowd.

I caught sight of Chase, who had his arms wrapped around a skinny white ferret girl with choppy bangs. That wouldn't have been anything special except for the fact the ferret girl had been staring at RJ. Not just looking, but staring. I felt angry, but I wasn't sure why. Now she was watching me, her black eyes shiny and unreadable. Chase was still holding her, but she seemed to have forgotten about him. Her nails were incredibly long and pointy, covered in glossy black polish. Around her neck was a studded dog collar. She wasn't staring at me anymore, so I looked away.

The 'tour guide group' was now coming through the door, earning plenty of strange looks. Once they saw Stella, most backed off.

I quickly filled them in on what we were going to do before leading them to the escalators. The main floor elevator had dropped out years ago, and no one knew whether it had been empty when it did. The hotel animals had installed one of their own on the second floor, though sometimes you had to work it yourself.

"What are those?" Verne asked, looking at them suspiciously.

RJ tried to explain, but he wasn't getting anywhere with them.

Hammy was trying to run up the down one, occasionally tripping. He was pretty close to the top, which was impressive. Not that I'd ever tried it, of course.

"This is fun!" He yelled happily, once again nearly wiping out. He actually reached the top, spinning around in victory. I couldn't help but laugh little.

"That's one way of doing it," I said, stepping onto the up side, "but this is how you're supposed to get up. Rebel points to Hammy."

"Did you hear that? I'm a rebel!" He exclaimed, happily prancing across the old red carpet.

By the time I'd reached the top the others were all on their way up. Heather looked like she was having fun, as did the porcupine kids. The other's reactions were mixed, Stella was indifferent and Verne wasn't trusting it at all. Tiger was probably the funniest, all puffed up and angry.

"That was awesome!" Heather said, a smile lighting up her face.

"You should try a roller coaster." I said, now in a slightly better mood.

"Can I?" She asked hopefully, her big eyes bright with anticipation.

I sighed. "Sadly, no. They're ruined now."

_Along with the best part of_ _my_ _life_, I thought.

"Aww, that sucks." She ran after her dad, who seemed pretty shaken from the whole thing. I hoped he wouldn't fall over again.

We all piled into the elevator, which had been updated to run on it's own. Unfortunately there wasn't an extra inch of room in there. I was smushed up against a wall, the cold steel riveting pushing into my back. It was painful and incredibly uncomfortable. I balanced on the tips of my toes, barely touching the old green rug that had been thrown across the floor.

I was shoved into a corner, and I was fine with that. Less contact with the others was a good thing. There was someone next to me, but at least they weren't pressed up against me like those who weren't in the corners. I kept my eyes closed at first, not caring who it was. I could feel it going up slowly, eventually speeding up. We were all the way on the fourteenth floor, so it'd take a while.

After a while, curiosity got the better of me. As luck would have it, the one closest to me was the one I wanted least. I felt lightheaded and dizzy, and I tried to blame it on motion sickness. Even though I didn't get that, and it was so obviously a case of emotion sickness. I narrowed my eyes, glaring at the metal walls.

Once we reached the top floor there was a stampede for the exit. I nearly got trampled, and I was the last one off. I muttered a few things I didn't want the kids hearing before I rejoined the group. Our room was down the first hallway, one of the lake view ones. I jammed the key into the keyhole, probably making my wrist worse in the process. It wouldn't open no matter how hard I yanked on it. I stepped back, shaking with frustration.

A second later RJ opened it easily, revealing one of the biggest rooms I'd seen. I gave him a threatening look, but he smiled and shrugged it off. Normally I would have gone after him, but I was too distracted. While there was definitely some wear and tear, the place was still amazing.

There were two huge beds covered with fancy blankets and lacy pillows, the walls a soft shade of lavender. An entire kitchen, and and a full bathroom with one of those weird bathtubs that had rapid simulators. The curtains blew back to reveal a balcony with a stunning view of the rich side of the city and the nearby lake. As much as I hated to admit it, it was beautiful.

"Wow." Verne said, staring at the balcony.

"Jeepers!" Exclaimed Penny as her kids ran to jump on the bed.

I grinned. If this didn't win them over, nothing would.

"Still think I'm a bad tour guide?" I asked, my hands clasped behind my back.

"I gotta admit, you've got good taste!" RJ said, winking at me.

I ignored him, joining everyone else in exploring the room. It was already dark out, the city lights reflecting off the lake. An hour passed, the kids slowly getting quieter.

As everyone else got ready to sleep, I slipped out onto the balcony. Behind me the curtains danced in the warm lake breeze, the air humid and heavy. I could see hundreds of neon signs illuminating the dark, their colors reflected on the glass office buildings of the rich side. Cars rushed by, and there was faint music coming from a nearby club. It was magical, and I never wanted it to end.

The tallest skyscraper glistened against the lake, the water nearly still. Nothing could wreck this moment...

"Hey, mind if I join you?"

Scratch that, someone just had.

"Absolutely, but does it really matter?" I said snarkily, stepping away from the annoying raccoon.

"Oh well, I'm already here. Besides, you don't mind at all."

I kept my gaze on the cityscape below me, trying to ignore how similar it felt to a night from three years ago. Different time, same place.

"It's changed, huh?" he asked, standing next to me.

"Sure has. They got rid of the old bowling alley and rollerskating rink last year."

He looked a bit sad, his blue eyes glowing in the night.

"That sucks. We used to have so much fun there. Remember the time you and Blake tried to run me over with a roller skate?"

My shoulders slumped as I though back to all those crazy nights we'd had. Running down the 'do not cross' lines and sliding right into the pins. Raiding the snack bar and stealing the mini souvenir roller skates so we could mess around. I was always bad at it, and Blake would joke about my wipeouts. Dancing across the pool table, writing weird messages on the scoreboards. Those were the days.

"Yeah, that was fun. It sure is weird being back here."

He nodded, slowly getting closer to me. I didn't step away.

"Fun? It was crazy awesome! We got in so much trouble, and we never cared."

I laughed, watching an airplane land at the airport.

"Back when we were young and... almost in love."

He took my hand, and we watched the plane, trying to guess what adventures it had taken people to. Neither of us saw Heather sneak off...

_Dang that was a long chapter! Hope y'all like it, and don't forget to fave, follow and review if you enjoy reading it. Thanks! _


	9. Live it Out

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

_Author's note: Back with another chapter. Sorry for the delay, I've hit a rough patch in my life and writing has kinda taken a backseat. This chapter's shorter but I don't plan on writing many as long as the last one was. Thanks to all my readers, I hope you enjoy it! Over and out, Nyxy M. Raccoon~_

_Bobbie1776: That's awesome, I'm so lucky :) So glad you like it so much! I hate Chase, and I'm his writer lol. Thanks for all the awesome reviews! _

_Mouseygirl1411: Calm down XD jk, jk. I think everyone here hates Chase! Wow thanks, I dunno if it was my best. I wouldn't say she's in love... Yet lol. Haha I'm glad you think she's lucky, though I wouldn't wanna be her. The hotel has a couple of nice rooms, but most of them are still creepy. It's cool you liked the city memories part, and as for Heather... Read on to find out!_ Thanks!

Live it Out (Chapter 9)

_Heather_

I had to admit, those human beds were comfortable. Sure I'd rather just hang from a tree, but this wasn't the _worst_ thing ever. The pastel blanket was thick, pillowy and shockingly clean. Good for sleeping, but it slightly complicated my plan. I knew it was late, but who wants to stay in their rooms sleeping when who-knows-what crazy fun was going on right downstairs? Not this possum!

You see when we'd walked through the reception room, I'd noticed a bunch of other teenagers. They'd been sitting in a circle playing cards, loudly announcing their high scores. Verne was too busy arguing with Jade over dangers and hidden taxes to notice, so I'd snuck off and introduced myself. Their leader had smiled slyly and told me to meet up with them in the pool room at midnight.

One of the girls, a brown otter with big eyes, had quietly given me directions. I promised to try and get there, though I hadn't actually told them I'd make it. That part would depend on skill, timing and probably luck.

I slid carefully across the silky sheet, careful no to move too quickly. The only sound was Tiger's snoring, which was surprisingly good cover. That hardly made up for all the nights I'd had to endure it, but I guess it was something. Maybe.

Once I reached the side, I jumped down as silently as possible. I landed on my hands and knees with a soft thump, the fluffy carpet quieting my fall. I stood up, looking around carefully. The room was dark, but I couldn't see anyone moving. Besides, the only one up at this hour was Jade... Oh great. _Jade_. There was no way I'd be able to sneak past _her_.

Tiptoeing carefully to the doorway, I looked for the weapon-happy raccoon. She wasn't in the bedroom. After a few minutes of searching, I came to the conclusion she wasn't in the bathroom or the kitchen either. That left only the balcony.

I cautiously crossed the tile floors that lead to the balcony doorway, dreading how cold they felt on my feet. A curtain flew at me, nearly making me jump backwards. I took a deep breath, calming myself down. Just fabric, Heather. That nightmare had really done a number on me!

Once I reached the empty doorway, I could hear voices and laughter. Was she talking to herself? I crept closer, both curious and a little worried. I'm not one to judge, but having an entire conversation with yourself was, like, weird. No offense of course.

The curtains continued to swing around in the breeze, and it took me a minute to get a good look at what was going on. She was standing there, holding hands with RJ. Her grey eyes were alight, and I'd never seen her look so cheerful or harmless before. So my theory had been right! How did I feel about that? I wasn't really sure. Happy for them, I guess. Maybe it would make her a _tiny_ bit less cynical, but I doubted that. The good news was they were so caught up with each other that neither would notice if I slipped out.

I watched them for a minute more, listening to the descriptions of their teen years in the city. It sounded crazy, like a movie come to life. For a moment I was jealous, but then I realized I had a chance at my own adventure tonight. I grinned at my shadow, which was partially obscured by those crazy striped curtains.

Turning away from the lovestruck ringtails, I put my plan into action. The room's door opened quietly, and I closed it as best I could without locking it. I had to get back inside, after all. I stashed the oversized key under a loose part of the hallway carpet and then ran to the elevator. My hands were shaking with adrenaline, and I could literally hear my heartbeat. Good thing I no longer had to be quiet!

Once I was inside the elevator, I pushed the button labeled "POOL" and felt the floor begin to drop. It was musty and cold inside, but I didn't care. I jumped up and down excitedly, smiling at my distorted reflection in the metal. The feeling of the elevator going down gave me butterflies, and I giggled like a little girl. I hadn't had this much fun in ages, and I hadn't even reached the pool yet!

After a minute the elevator lurched to a stop, the steel doors opening. I nearly ran out, but I decided to check the buttons first. The 6 was illuminated, not the one I'd pressed. I tilted my head, wondering whether or not to get off. Right before the doors closed, someone climbed in. The new passenger was a ferret. She took one look at me and retreated to the opposite corner. I smiled cheerfully at her, but she just glared coldly at the wall.

Her fur was pure white except for the tips of her long bangs, which were dyed black. She wore them over her left eye, making her appear rather mysterious. Around her neck was a studded leather collar, though the tag had been replaced with a silver skull decal. I also noticed her claws, which were incredibly long and coated in black polish. She clutched an expensive cell phone to her chest, looking around shiftily when it rang.

I shrugged and waited for the ride to end. She continued to act strangely hostile until the elevator stopped at what I think was the third floor. As soon as the doors opened, she dashed off, cell phone now pressed to her ear. I was weirded out, but I wasn't going to let a grumpy stranger wreck my fun. Smoothing back my fur, I admired my reflection. Not perfect, but the best it was gonna get. I spent the remainder of the ride trying to figure out ways of appearing effortless and cool. Stressing out probably wasn't one of them, but I couldn't help it.

The machine stopped once again, and this time it was my turn. I hurried through the doors, not wanting to get squished. Once I was clear, I skipped along the hallway towards the pool signs. After a while I noticed the carpet was wet and that the air smelled of chlorine. I had to be close. One of the walls gave way to windows which revealed the pool in all its... glory? A few of them were smashed, and I carefully stepped over the glass shards embedded in the stained red carpet. The last thing I needed was to start bleeding and attract sharks.

I know sharks don't live in pools, but I honestly wouldn't have been surprised to see one here. The water was murky, and from the hall I couldn't see the bottom. About twenty animals were there, most of them running around the deck trying to push each other in. The concrete walls had once been white with instructions painted on in blue, but they had worn away and the white had faded to grey. Spray-painted over the remainder of the blue text was the phrase "don't drown". Very comforting.

Towering above the animals was a huge metal and plastic contraption that had once been a waterslide. The support beams had rusted away, and the yellow plastic was faded and cracked. That didn't seem to stop some of the animals, however. One fox jumped off the platform, diving gracefully into the water below. After he surfaced, a bunch of the pool-goers cheered. He climbed out and bowed, shaking water everywhere.

I found the entrance and stepped out on the smooth tiled deck. From here I could see the pool did have a bottom, though it was dirty. Beside me was a much smaller slide that appeared to be in better condition. Figuring it'd be a fun way to make an entrance, I climbed the plastic steps until I reached the top. It wasn't very high, but the incline was steep enough to make it fun. I took a deep breath and slid down, plunging into the cold water. Diving under, I swam around for a minute, trying to tell how deep it was. Probably about three feet, though I couldn't be sure. I bobbed back up to the surface, chlorine stinging my eyes.

After paddling around for a while, I turned around and swam back to the slide. Climbing out, I shook off some of the water and grabbed the railing as I stepped onto the first plastic stair, getting ready to go again.

"I see someone found the baby slide." The voice was mocking, and I turned around in surprise.

Standing in front of me was a fox, but not the same one that had jumped off the slide. This one was younger, though they looked similar. Behind him was the cat that had just insulted me, another raccoon and the nice otter girl who'd told me how to get there. The cat snorted, and the raccoon gave him an 'are you serious' look. The otter smiled apologetically.

"Why is it a baby slide?" I asked, annoyed. Talk about rude!

The cat was about to answer, but he was cut off by the fox.

"Because no one ever died on it! The real deal is the Skull Smasher," he announced, pointing to the giant rusty disaster "now that's a slide! Wanna hear how it got its name?" he asked excitedly, looking at the others.

"Uh, not really. And isn't it, you know, a bad thing animals died on it?"

What was wrong with these city animals? Between him, the ferret and Jade, I was staring to think they were all insane violence lovers who picked fights for entertainment!

"Aw, that sucks. And duh it's a good thing! Surviving that slide is the _rule of cool_." He grinned, and the scrawny cat nodded enthusiastically. The otter girl seemed nervous, and the raccoon indifferent.

"Y-you don't have to go down it, I didn't." The girl said, her voice gentle compared to the loudness of the others.

"If course you don't," the fox said, "it's just how you prove yourself around here. Like my brother Chase. He does it all the time, and he's awesome! The only one who beat him at crazy slide stunts was some raccoon named Jade. She died though, so Chase holds the record!"

Before I could stop myself, I blurted out the truth. "Jade's not dead!"

The fox looked at me curiously, but he was pushed aside by the raccoon.

"How would you know?" She asked, her eyes narrow.

I stepped back a bit, caught off guard.

"Well, I don't really know, I guess. I just didn't think she was." I had no idea if Jade was undercover here, and if she was, I wouldn't be the one to blow it. I'd leave the screwing up and getting screamed at to RJ.

The raccoon girl considered this for a while.

"Could be true," she said, "I used to watch her and her stupid boyfriend show off all the time. They _always_ got into trouble and my mom never let me hang out with them. She had a best friend too, and we got along. I don't know what happened to him, but her smooth-talking boyfriend got kicked out and a few days later she vanished. We figure she either ran off with him or died. Not that it matters."

She shrugged and turned her attention back to her friends.

So Jade had been a bad influence. Figures. And she'd had a boyfriend who'd gotten kicked out of something. The hotel? The community? I had no clue. It wasn't really surprising, considering how they supposedly acted, but something about it caught my attention. I pondered it for a second before being interrupted.

"So, you gonna go on the Skull Smasher?" the cat asked, grinning manically.

"I-if you want." The otter added, giving a warning look to the cat.

The fox nodded. "You don't have to."

I looked up at the huge tower, swallowing hard.

"I might. And my name's Heather, by the way."

"Nice. I'm Hunter." The fox said, his green eyes sparkling in the bright light. His smile was confident, and even though we'd gotten off to a rough start, I had to admit he was cute. He reached out his hand and I shook it happily, not wanting to let go.

"Gia." The raccoon said flatly, watching Hunter with her eyebrow raised.

The otter smiled. "I'm Melissa."

I looked at the cat, waiting for his answer.

Hunter grinned. "His name's Cato, but just call him Cat if you don't wanna die."

Cato, er, Cat scowled at the nearby pool, tuning us out.

"My mom had demented taste in names." He said, as though it needed explaining. Melissa grabbed his hand and dragged him back to the group where he slouched awkwardly.

"So now that we know what to carve on your gravestone, are you going on the Smasher or not?" Gia asked, her dark eyes watching me carefully.

I looked at the mess of rust and bad patch jobs, the spiral shape plunging into the deepest part of the pool. It looked dangerous, not to mention the name. Sure it was probably made up, but wow...

Hunter smiled at me, his arms crossed confidently across his chest. I wanted to impress him, and the Skull Smasher was my best shot. A part of me was screaming about how stupid the whole thing was, though. If something happened, my whole family could get involved. I pictured my dad, who'd probably play dead at the _sight_ of the Smasher. It was a bad idea, no denying it.

"C'mon!" Cat urged, "we don't have forever." Chase had been on the slide platform for the whole time I'd been here, and he was still at the top, now balancing on one of the half-collapsed railings.

I hesitated, looking from the slide, to Hunter and back again.

Hunter smiled at me and pointed to Chase. "My brother'll be going down it soon. How about we watch him and then you decide?"

I nodded, hoping I looked way more cool than I felt.

"Sure! I bet I'll do it." I said, more an attempt to convince myself than anyone else.

We sat down around the edge of the pool, waiting for Chase to go down the Skull Smasher. I dangled my feet in the chilly water, and I was joined by Hunter and Melissa. Cat sat farther back, avoiding any chance of getting wet, and Gia was hunched up against the wall. She looked mad, but I had no idea why.

"So, Heather, where you from?" Hunter asked with a curious half smile, splashing a bit of water on Cat, who hissed loudly.

"Yeah," Melissa added, "I've never seen you before, and you seem nice."

I told them the whole sad story, or at least most of it. I left out Jade and the dogs, but luckily it still made sense.

They nodded and gasped sympathetically as I described what happened to my old home. Melissa gave me a hug when I told her how sad I'd been. It was nice to share my feelings, even if we had met only fifteen minutes ago. The trip had a way of doing that, I think. We were all a bunch of strangers, and yet we were thrown together by fate. It could be good or bad, I suppose, but I wanted to make the best of it. My old home and life were gone, but I had every plan to share my new ones with lots of friends.

As we were talking, I caught a glimpse of that strange ferret girl from the elevator. She still had the phone against her ear, though now she was standing right next to one of the Skull Smasher's support beams. She was examining it carefully, prodding part of it with those too-long claws. Something silver and reflective was in her hand, but my eyes were still messed up from the chlorine and I couldn't see what it was. All the buzzing electric lights above us had developed strange halos, and I actually regretted opening my eyes underwater. It hadn't even been pretty!

The ferret continued to talk on the phone until she saw me. She then slammed the receiver closed and ran out of sight, her expression wild. Weird! Something was up, but I never got the chance to try and figure it out. Standing at the top of the slide was Chase. He waved proudly to all the watchers, bowed and pushed off down the slide. His orange fur melded with the yellow plastic as he shot down the slide, and no one in the whole room dared to blink. My breath caught in my throat, and I trembled slightly. In a few minutes, that would be me.


	10. Hanging by a Thread

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

_Author's note: Hey. Hey guys. Guuuuuys. Guess what? I'M BACK! That's what! *crickets heard chirping in utter silence* uh... Thanks? Lol JK! Wow my first chapter 10! I reached a milestone! And speaking of milestones, I WON NANOWRIMO! Yay! The beginning of this chapter is a little darker than the last two, probs cuz I'm still in NaNo mode and my original book is really gritty and messed up lol. It'll perk up again, don't worry! Thanks a ton for all the reads, faves, follows and reviews! Y'all rock! I really don't know what else to say lol!_

_Mouseygirl1411: Who's the mean ferret? Well, I'm not saying right now because spoilers. You'll find out soon. What I will say is that she's important and you'll probably not like her. Well, I hope you don't anyway. Yep, Heather's being sneaky! She found new friends and a scary slide, but who knows what else she might discover... Yay haha it's cool you liked my description. I love extreme rides (total thrill ride and coaster girl here!) and I wouldn't wanna go on it! Thanks once again, you crazy mouse!_

_Crackers414: Once again I smiled stupidly over reviews! Thanks! Now, to answer your questions. Yup! You guessed it, he was the "Cat Food - 1.00" guy all along. As for why: Jade really hated (and still sorta hates) him, but she didn't wanna wreck that picture as it meant a lot to her. Instead of ripping it or drawing on it, she put a sticker over him so when she looked at it she only saw herself and Blake. Obviously not the most effective thing, lol. I'll be explaining their backstories further throughout the fic. I never really though about their first kiss, but it probably would have been cute. After all, Jade wasn't always cold enough to rival Elsa! __Right now Chase is probably curled up somewhere crying for his mommy XD I'll totally add that in a later chapter, I think everyone here would like to see Chase get his butt kicked! Yay so glad you loved it, that makes me smile so much :) I'll try and speed up the updates for ya! Nyxy awaaaay! _

Hanging by a Thread (Chapter 10)

_Jade_

"For the record, I blame you for this."

How exactly had my life gotten this screwed up? The question hung heavy on my mind as I stood in the dingy hotel hallway waiting for a pathetically slow elevator. Two days ago I'd had everything figured out, and yet here I was, standing right beside my sworn enemy. _No_, not the pack leader. Honestly I'd take a crazed dog any day. At least they didn't make me feel all weird and mixed up inside.

The cheap fluorescent lights flickered above, and more than once I turned around thinking there was something behind me. Of course there wasn't, and all I saw were the towering old hotel doors and ripped, faded wallpaper.

"It's not that big a deal, you know."

For a glorious second I'd forgotten about the loser next to me, and before I could stop myself I was staring right at him, my eyes wide with surprise. He was leaning against the cheaply panelled wall, looking confident as ever. Despite how dim the lights were, his eyes gleamed. He caught my gaze and gave me a flirty smile. I looked away quickly, shaking my head in an attempt to clear my mind.

I heard the elevator ding and I stepped forward, keeping my eyes on the ground. It felt like my thoughts were full of static, and it was getting harder and harder to focus. Sighing, I took a deep breath... and walked right into the still-closed metal door. It was freezing cold and I jumped back, making myself look even more stupid than before. This entire mission-gone-haywire was officially the worst mistake I'd ever made. Note to self: Kindness doesn't pay.

"I though you said you'd done training! Really Jade, you gotta chill out."

Beside me I could hear RJ trying not to laugh. I clenched my fist and hoped I wouldn't snap. Murder is wrong, Jade. You know that. Honestly, it wasn't helping much. It dinged again, but I waited until the door was fully open before climbing in and taking my place against the darkest corner.

"You know what would happen to me if Heather got in trouble?" I asked, avoiding him as best I could. Badly patterned green carpet had never looked more interesting.

The cheap light hummed as a bug flew around it, occasionally slamming into the wall. I though about getting up and pressing the button, but I couldn't be bothered. My distorted reflection glared back at me as I felt the floor beginning to drop. Hopefully he hadn't screwed it up _too_ badly. Not that it mattered at this point. The silence was blissful, but of course nothing that good could ever last.

"What happened to you anyway? You used to be so reckless and crazy. Now you're about as much fun as Verne!"

I didn't even bother to look up. There was nothing to see anyway. Just a lot of denial and a dirty old elevator wall.

"Dogs. That's what happened."

"Aren't you going a bit overboard? I mean sure, they're-"

Anger clouded my thoughts. Dogs had ruined my life. They'd killed my best friend, made me the way I was now. At least that's what I'd told myself when things got rough. Revenge would set me free. Everything else was a waste of time.

"They took away what little I cared about in this world."

"You mean they were the ones who..." He trailed off, not knowing what to say next.

"Yeah, they killed him. No point trying to pretty it up. Now shut up, ok?"

It was a demand, not a question. If he didn't I'd... what? Do nothing, as usual. I made empty threats all the time, but to be fully honest I didn't want to hurt him. Not that I'd ever admit that in a million years.

"Wow. I can't imagine how much that must've hurt."

I hated sympathy. If you didn't kill my friend, you didn't have to apologize for it, or even grieve over it. I didn't blame anyone for that except the pack leader.

"Then don't," I snapped, "Just go away and leave me alone."

I glanced over quickly, the small space now eerily silent. There was hurt in those blue eyes. I'd finally gotten the reaction I was going for. So tell me, why did I feel so freakin' awful? I had a headache and I just wanted to curl up and forget about everything. My reflection stared back at me, her blurred face mocking my pain. I'd forgotten just how cold I could really be. Hurting others wasn't gonna make my issues go away. Why had it taken me this long to figure that out?

"I'm sorry, RJ," I said, "I didn't mean to go that far. Really. That was low."

Why did I have to screw up every single thing that didn't involve fighting, smashing or destroying stuff?

"Look, I get it. If you want me to leave, I'll leave. But wasn't it you who said we had to stick together, and not to wander off alone?"

He smiled at me, but I wasn't fooled. It wasn't hard to tell when someone was faking when you'd been doing the same for three years.

I laughed, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Oh sure, use my rules against me!"

He joined in, and I felt some of the misery fade away. Bandaids weren't the solution, but they were the first step in healing.

"Never though there'd be a day we were _making_ rules."

I rolled my eyes. We hadn't been _that_ bad back then, had we? Ok, so me and my little group of friends had done a few things that probably should have killed us, but it sure had been fun. No, I don't suggest jumping off a roller coaster while wearing a superhero cape. You'll still fall on your face, trust me.

"Me either. Things change, though."

I watched the shadows on the wall flicker, hoping Heather really would have headed to the pool, and not some other _slightly_ less slimy place. That water was a nightmare, or at least it had been last time I'd stayed here. Yeah, I was trying to tune out the conversation.

"They sure do, though some will never change." His signature idiotic grin had been traded in for something a little more serious. I couldn't figure it out.

"Like what?" I asked lazily, watching the buttons light up and go dark as the floors went by.

He hesitated for a second. "I don't know, really."

The button labeled "POOL" lit up, and I felt the elevator come to a stop. This time I was careful to wait until the doors were all the way open. I was never going through _that_ again.

Once they were, I dashed out. The grey walls and bright lights were a bit of a shock after the darkness of the elevator, and it took my eyes a moment to adjust. The hall was long and illuminated, the familiar smell of chlorine hanging in the air. I stepped over the shattered glass, wondering how long it'd been left sitting there.

I heard hushed talking coming from a darkened supply room. Curiosity once again got the better of me, and I crept up to listen in. The door was half shut, a sliver of light reflecting off dusty lifejackets, empty boxes and pool toys. I couldn't see who it was, but there was definitely someone in there.

"I found your target," a smooth female voice said, "though the other one might be on to me."

Target? That was not a normal conversation. I'd expected either a teenage couple or some antisocial nut job, but this? Something was going on here.

I heard yelling coming from what sounded like a cell phone. The nearby voice gasped, and either dropped something or slammed the phone down. A few seconds later I could still hear the faint screaming on the other end of the connection. Whoever it was, they were mad.

"No! Don't! It's a slight complication, that's all. Who's to say we can't take them _all_ out?"

I shuddered. What exactly was I witnessing?

"Jade, where are you?"

I could hear RJ getting closer, and I turned away from the mysterious room. Before I looked away, I caught a glimpse that would haunt me for nights to come. Long, shiny black claws pressed up against a sparkling silver blade. Before I could even be sure I'd seen it, the room went dark and I was left wondering if anything I'd just seen had been real.

"What were you doing?"

I froze, trying to think of an answer. There was no way I was telling anyone what I'd overheard. It had nothing to do with us, and there was no use causing panic. On the other hand, I'd be on the lookout for Chase's ferrety girlfriend.

"Oh, you know, just looking around," I stuttered, not making eye contact, "being paranoid like I always am." I laughed nervously. What the heck? I'd always been really good at stuff like this, but now I couldn't even lie properly!

He looked at me like I was crazy, but we continued down the too-bright hall to the pool entrance. I sneakily peeked in all the supply closets, but other than the occasional undead rubber duck, they were empty.

Once we got to the windowed part, it didn't take me long to spot Heather. At least we'd gotten that part right. From the looks of it, she'd made a bunch of new friends. I recognized the fox she was sitting next to as Chase's brother. Oh, _great_. I really didn't need another one of _those_ things tonight.

I stepped out on the cold, glossy tiles. The old slide was still standing, though it looked worse for wear. I remembered all those stupid stunts I did on it trying to catch someone's attention. It had worked, too. There was probably still in imprint of my face at the bottom where I'd slammed into it at about a hundred miles an hour. Teenage stupidity at it's finest, sadly.

I overheard Heather telling the other kids about how much she missed her old home. I had never really thought of that, to be honest. I'd seen the whole thing as impersonal mission-favour hybrid I'd done to prove RJ wrong. I had been distant, careful to avoid getting too involved with anything. Or _anyone_. Now I almost regretted it. I'd be a little less harsh on them next time.

I heard loud cheering, and looked up at the top of the slide. There was Chase, bowing for his 'adoring' fans. A bunch of animals screamed his name, and I nearly gagged. Since when was he a freakin' celebrity?

"I wonder of he's gonna die!" A mud-colored cat yelled, his tail flicking off the chlorinated water.

The sullen young raccoon girl next to him nodded slightly. "Probably."

"He's so not gonna die, Cat! He's done this a million times, remember. Don't be stupid." Chase's brother quipped, and Heather watched him carefully.

"Whatever. I could use a little action." The cat answered, looking to the raccoon for a response. She ignored him.

"Wow." Heather said as Chase climbed into the yellow plastic tube, leaving only his white-tipped tail visible.

"I hope he's ok," An otter said, her expression worried.

The younger fox grinned. "Of course he's fine."

He stood up and waved to his brother, who popped out of the tube and gave him a thumbs-up. Heather stayed seated on the edge of the pool, though she smiled up at Chase's brother, her eyes sparkling in the vibrance of the lights. From the looks of it, she had a crush on him. That was _so_ not going to go over well.

The entire room went silent as Chase returned to the tube and let go of the handle, his orange fur blurring together with the faded yellow of the slide. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath. After a minute he shot out of the tube at lightning speed, landing in the water with a loud splash. Water sprayed everywhere, soaking a few unfortunate animals who'd been lounging nearby.

He surfaced a second later, and the screaming and cheering returned. I gritted my teeth. He didn't deserve it. Despite all the fuss over him, his ferret friend was nowhere to be seen. I couldn't blame her, really. This guy was so overrated.

"Still can't do a backflip, huh?" I called to him, grinning slyly. He gave me an annoyed look, and I shrugged dramatically.

"Ja- I mean, wasn't that cool?" Heather asked, keeping her gaze on the local loser's sibling, who was still clapping louder than a demented seal.

"Hey, isn't it that Jade chick?" The scrawny cat asked, looking me up and down.

The raccoon girl sighed. "Yeah." Her voice was bored and flat, and it was clear she didn't care either way. She glared moodily at Heather, and for some reason that annoyed me. Had I really started to care about these weirdos in two days?

"Are you gonna do the Skull Smasher or not?" she asked, her dark eyes narrow.

I pressed my hand to the side of my face as I remembered how the slide got its name. I certainly wasn't the first one to learn, and I'm pretty sure I still have a scar from the second time I hit that evil plastic wall.

"Of course I will." Heather said defiantly, holding the raccoon's stare.

She stood up boldly, walking toward the other side of the pool where the face-ruining hunk of plastic was located.

"Awesome!" The fox called, and she skipped happily.

Ignoring the "no running on deck" sign, I caught up with her next to the rusted black stairs. It was taller than I remembered, though most of it still looked stable. Her eyes were wide as she took it all in, from the dented mesh steps to the cracked yellow form looming above.

"Listen, I've done this a million times. Lay down flat, don't lift your head at all. You'll go faster, and it'll hurt less."

"Less?" She asked, still staring at the top of the platform.

"Well, yeah. Cross your arms for more speed, and flip over at the last second if you want flair."

She smiled determinedly, grabbing one of the buckled, rusty railings.

"Thanks, Jade."

I laughed a little. It was only fair I passed on these tricks after I'd spent so many hours and concussions figuring them out.

"Anytime. Now go teach that girl a lesson."

"Totally."

She nodded sharply, her eyes fixed on the stairs. Standing tall, I noticed she was nearly the same height as me. Oh how I hated being short!

"I'll be watching, now have fun!" I said, turning back toward the small gathering that had formed where her friends were waiting.

It took her a while to navigate the rusted-out stairwell, and I made it back with plenty of time. The other animals were whispering amongst each other, but only her friends cheered. Everyone else just muttered about wipeouts and Chase. It really ticked me off. I joined in with the teens, and after a while most of the others got the idea. I noticed the sulky raccoon girl was completely silent, feigning boredom. She was watching intently, though.

Suddenly someone wrapped their arm around my back. Visions of long, black claws filled my mind, and my hand flew to my knife. In a few seconds I had flipped it open, spinning around to face the ferret princess.

"Someone's a little high-strung!" RJ said, backing up a bit.

I sighed in relief, my shoulders slumping. I could still feel my heart pounding, but my breathing had returned to normal. I shoved the blade back in its hilt and reattached the weapon to my leather strap, wondering how many animals noticed my little outburst.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Chase walk past. He received a few adoring glanced as he strode through the crowd, but most of them were more interested in Heather. All hope wasn't lost after all.

"No problem. Care to try again?" RJ asked, eyeing Chase, who was glaring coldly at him. I rolled my eyes. Why not? It didn't have to mean anything. I stepped back, this time knowing he wasn't a killer weasel diva.

As much as I hated to admit it, it was nice being so close to him. That's what friends were for, I guess. I mean, he was just a friend and that was a good thing. Better than being enemies, no?

"So what'cha think of a second chance?" Ok, maybe it _did_ mean something.

"Uh, what?" I asked, playing dumb.

"Y'know, giving us another shot. I know you have to act all cold and distant, but at least consider it. It's pretty obvious now, Jaded Lady."

"_Right_," I said sarcastically, "In your dreams. I'll _think_ about it."

Heather had reached the top of the slide, and beside me Chase's brother was yelling out encouragement. She waved to him, and he jumped up and down, nearly knocking over the otter.

She grabbed onto the handle, surveying the room below. I wanted to cheer her on and wave, but there was no way I was gonna have her see me that close to RJ.

"Ew. What a freak." It was the apathetic raccoon girl again. Next to her, the cat laughed, though it sounded forced and incredibly fake.

"Cut it out, Gia!" The fox said, giving her a warning look. She ignored him and continued to slouch next to the cat and otter.

Something in the corner of the room pulled my attention away from the teen drama. There was Chase, and he was talking with the ferret girl! In her hand was a pale sword, thin blade nearly glowing in the light. She looked around suspiciously before kissing him. At first he looked shocked, but after a second he went along with it. My eyes returned to that shining, reflective metal. Whatever was going on here, it couldn't be nice.

_AN: Thanks for reading! Remember to fave, follow and review if you liked it! I could have made this chapter longer but I want to write the rest of it from Heather's POV. Jade is her usual loveable self XD, but who IS this ferret, and what's her problem? Even more importantly, how's Heather gonna do on the slide? Probably awesome, but stick around to find out! I BEAT NANOMIGRAINE AND ITS FREAKIN DECEMBER! Yay? *ninja vanish*_


	11. Synthetic Stars

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

_Author's note: Hey guys, sorry for the incredibly slow update, but it's a crazy long chapter! I've been really busy, and I plan to speed them up considerably. A shout-out to Crackers414, for being awesome and helping me figure out some of my weaker points. You rock ! Also a shout out to my return reviewers and readers who mean so, SO much to me. I promise your patience will be rewarded! ~Nyxy~_

_Crackers414: YES! So glad you loved it, I wasn't sure if I'd gotten it right! Will Heather make it? Well, probably... I wouldn't wanna kill my fave, but still! READ ON! Thanks again for the awesome review! _

_Bobbie1776: Yes! Off with her head! *bows* LUCKY! They're my fave too! It's fine lol, you don't have to review at all and I'm super duper thankful you do! Vacation... Wow that sounds amazing right now... There's snow on the ground here. Yay I'm glad you think it's awesome :) Here's a hint on the ferret: she's working for someone else who's out for revenge and has a history with one of the characters. Which one I won't say ;) I love to drag out the drama lol! Thanks for all the reviews!_

_Mouseygirl1411: She's my OC and I don't even know what's wrong with her! I know, right? Crazy! You know I wouldn't kill her, but read on anyway XD lol, well it's a thing I guess! And as much as I'd like to do that for you, I can't really without interrupting the story flow... Well, actually I can in a way. How? You'll have to wait and see ;) and thank you, it's super nice you like my writing! Thanks for reviewing! _

Synthetic Stars (Chapter 11)

_Heather_

My heart raced as I looked down from my twisted metal perch, but I stubbornly pushed forward and ignored the nagging doubts ringing in my mind. The floor was chipped black mesh, and I was careful not to glance at the water-stained concrete floor far below my feet. Bright lights hung from the sagging ceiling, glowing like synthetic stars, and I almost wanted to touch one.

As uncomfortable as I felt, there was something special about being up here, out of reach to the world below.

A faint draft ruffled my fur, and I grabbed on tighter to the buckled railing. I avoided looking at the darkened slide entrance, instead focusing on the now-tiny group of animals gathered on the other side of the pool. I could just make out Hunter, Melissa and Cat, though Gia was nowhere to be seen. Beside them were a few strangers and a cuddling raccoon couple that looked a _lot_ like Jade and RJ. Nah, couldn't be.

Despite how high I was, I could hear them cheering. Cheering for _me_. My legs felt weak, but there was no way I was gonna let them down now. Hunter, I mean, _everyone_ would think I was so brave and daring if I did this. I took another step forward, forcing myself to look at the cavern looming in front of me. The entrance was huge, and despite the pale color it was incredibly dark inside. Water trickled down the near-vertical drop, disappearing behind the first sharp turn.

Catching Hunter's eye, I gave a quick nod and slid inside. Carefully gripping the handle, I cursed myself for looking down. A hint of light reflected off the water, illuminating what I hoped was the end of this death trap. I closed my eyes, trying to remember Jade's advice. She'd told me to lay flat... or had she said sit up? And wasn't there something about adding flair to the ending?

I lowered myself down, the icy water dampening my fur and making me shiver. My grip slowly loosened on the worn plastic as I listened to the water echoing inside the tube. It was colder in here than outside, and though I had no idea why, it seemed fitting. The rough patches pressed into my back, but I didn't really feel anything. I was too focused on the nothingness below.

Silently apologizing to my dad and the rest of my family, I let go, crossing my arms as everything became a blur.

In a few seconds I was speeding so fast it felt like I was flying. The tunnel was too dark to see anything in, though chlorine hung in the dampness, stinging at my wide-open eyes. My lungs were tight and I couldn't scream, but that was probably a good thing. Forget butterflies in your stomach, this was an entire air show!

I was just starting to enjoy it when I slammed into the hard plastic wall of the first turn. Disoriented for a second, I gasped and tried to wipe the water out of my eyes. I was spinning out, and I dug my claws into the side in an attempt to right myself. It worked, but I was now going headfirst down the slide, and picking up speed fast.

Taking a sharp breath, I heard the water roaring again. This time I was ready, gliding over the curve effortlessly. The butterflies doubled, and I smiled in excitement. Jade hadn't said anything about going down headfirst, but it couldn't be that bad, right?

The drop steepened, and I could see light up ahead. I closed my eyes so I wouldn't get any more water in them and reached out my hands, hoping my sudden crazy idea would work.

The slide tilted up at the very end, and I flung myself down as hard as I could once the plastic vanished. Opening my eyes, I watched everything turn upside down. There was Hunter, his green eyes wide with a mix of shock and awe. Melissa was looking away and Cat appeared both impressed and horrified. I barely had time to grin at him before I hit the water.

It stung a bit at first, but I was too thrilled to care at that point. I'd done it! I wanted to scream out, but I was still underwater. Swimming back up, the cool, dark water seemed endless. I broke the surface, panting for breath. Moisture clouded my vision but I shook it off as best I could. Everyone was screaming and clapping, even animals I'd never met. As I paddled to the edge, half the group reached out to help me up. One of them was Hunter.

"Heather! You did a _flip_! That was epic! How did you even _do_ that?"

He was jumbling his words together, and I laughed. I was still a bit in shock from the whole thing, but it couldn't be _that_ impressive? Could it?

"Honestly? I have no idea."

"Are you ok?" Melissa asked, and Cat shot her a dirty look. The otter ignored him, but didn't say anything else.

"Of course she is! You can't do something like that and _not_ be ok!" Hunter said, smiling at me.

Cat rolled his eyes. "Dude, that was nuts. I'll give you that one."

I wasn't sure whether to be flattered or offended by the dull-colored tabby's comment, so I shifted awkwardly and hoped someone would continue the conversation.

"Don't mind him," Hunter said, "that's high praise for Sir Cato."

Cat, or in this case Cato hissed, and Melissa made a face at him.

"Anyway, you wanna hang out with us tonight?"

His voice was hopeful and his expression made my heart race. To be honest, I was probably more nervous talking to him than I had been going down the Skull Smasher.

I nodded silently as a ringed tail caught my attention. Maybe it _had_ been them...

"Uh, I'd love to! I just have to check something first." I smiled awkwardly, hoping they couldn't tell how on-edge I was. If those raccoons had been Jade and RJ, I was in a ton of trouble. Well, actually RJ would probably let it slide, but _Jade_... oh boy.

Hunter shrugged, looking both puzzled and a bit disappointed. He stared down at the pool, and Melissa shook her head sadly.

"Sure, I guess."

"Thanks," I said brightly, "I'll be right back! I'm like, totally sure I can stay with you guys anyway."

"Uh, ok..." Hunter looked confused, and I couldn't blame him. Beside him, Cato was licking his paw and looking incredibly bored. If he was gonna act like that, I would _so_ be calling him Cato from now on.

I dashed away before they could ask any questions. Running across the shiny white tiles, I nearly learned the hard way that they were slippery. Animals wandered around, occasionally climbing in the icy water or jumping back out. So far there was no sign of the raccoons I was looking for, though there had been a couple of false alarms. Raccoons were pretty common, and I was starting to think I'd been mistaken all along.

A few of the animals ahead of me had stopped to gawk at something, so I pushed my way through hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever it was. It didn't take me long to figure out.

"-you're such an _idiot_!" A familiar voice screamed, bouncing off the graffiti-stained walls. That was definitely Jade, and she was _mad_. I cringed. This wasn't gonna end well. I could hear RJ trying to calm her down, and surprisingly it seemed to work. Well, somewhat anyway.

"Look pretty young to be an old married couple, huh?" Someone asked, chuckling to themselves.

"Eh, at that age we argued, but not like _that_. Feel sorry for the poor guy." Another voice answered more seriously.

"Of course _you_ would!" The first one sniffed indignantly, and they started bickering. I pushed past them, more interested in my awaiting fate.

Jade's round grey eyes were narrowed as she told off her unfortunate companion, but her words had lost their edge and it looked almost fake. A few animals laughed, but most were giving her dirty looks. RJ looked pretty annoyed as well, though his face lit up when he saw me.

"That was amazing! You were awesome up there." We high-fived and I giggled, feeling both proud and a little embarrassed, since a bunch of animals were still watching us. As soon as they realized the two raccoons weren't going to rip each other's throats out, they left pretty fast. What was _with_ these city dwellers?

Jade shoved him aside and looked me straight in the eyes, a faint smile decorating her usually stern face.

"You know, for the first time in my life I'm gonna agree with the idiot. That was really good, kid. Really freakin' good."

I grinned. That was a huge compliment from her.

"So you're not mad?" I asked, carefully reading their expressions.

"Mad? Why would we be mad? There-" RJ began, but Jade cut him off.

"What stupid over here's trying to say is no, we're not mad. You broke some rules and took a lot of risks, but I'd be a total hypocrite if I said anything. You had a good time, and everything's ok. That's what matters, isn't it?"

"Watch it!" RJ said, and Jade rolled her eyes.

"Watch it? That'd require looking at you. No thanks."

Staring at a cracked tile, I tried to think of the best way to ask. Sure, they were somewhat ok with me sneaking out, but I didn't wanna push it. The last thing I needed was for Verne or my dad to find out. I would be _so_ dead if that happened! And no, I wouldn't _play_ dead.

"Hey, my friends wanted to know if I could hang out with them for a while? Like, I get it if-"

RJ nodded enthusiastically. "Of course you can! You earned it now, didn't you?"

I looked to Jade for confirmation.

"Yeah. Go have fun."

"Thanks!" I said, before I ran off, once again weaving through the crowd until I caught sight of Melissa, Hunter and a very angry, sopping-wet Cato. Well, _that_ had happened...

I was going to ask what exactly they'd done to the moody cat, but Hunter beat me to it.

"He fell. Anyway, are you gonna stay?"

Cato glowered at the fox. "I did _not_ fall. Someone pushed me."

"Whatever. No one cares, Cato."

Cato stalked off, muttering something that would have made Jade's jaw drop. I had no idea what to say to that, so I ignored him.

"Yes! I can totally stay, guys!"

Hunter clapped happily and I swear Melissa jumped for joy. It felt weird being the center of attention, though not necessarily bad. I was so used to just hanging with my family that being around other teens seemed special. I felt a little awkward, and I hoped it didn't show. For the city animals, this was everyday life. Not that I'd ever trade my family though. Sure, Hunter and friends were fun, but families always have your back.

"That's epic. Now follow me! There's somewhere you need to see." He smiled and I followed his eyes to the pool room exit. A hint of dingy red carpet could still be seen, and compared to the vibrance of this place, it looked pitch black.

"You're taking her to the Secret Room? Really, dude?"

Cato had reappeared, now damp and a bit less angry. He strutted gracefully across the slick floor, and it looked to me like he was showing off.

"_Yeah_. She deserves to see it, you know."

The cat's ears were pressed back, and he swatted impatiently at a small plastic boat in the middle of the floor, knocking over the toy twice. A few animals shook their heads at him, since he was occupying the middle of the entrance area. At least no one stepped on him.

"Are you kidding? It took three months for you to show me that stupid room! Why's she so special?"

Melissa stepped forward, her webbed hand placed firmly on her hip. She didn't seem the type to get angry, but Cato shrunk back as she got closer.

"Did _you_ do a flip on the Skull Smasher?"

Silence.

Melissa grinned. "Thought so. Now follow me!"

We did as she said, though Hunter quickly took the lead. I walked beside Melissa, since Cato was dragging his paws dramatically across the floor in a sign of defeat. It was pretty funny to watch, and he was convincing enough that I wondered if he actually meant it.

The hall was empty and dark, despite the pale cream walls. Half the old lights were burnt out, and the ones that still worked could've done with a good cleaning. I stepped carefully, following Hunter's white-tipped tail.

Cato perked up after we reached a turn in the hallway, shoving past Hunter. They started insulting each other again, but Melissa shushed them. I could hear another voice now, and it sounded very different from the competitive teens. The anger was much more real.

They took the hint, and all four of us pressed our ears up against the wooden door. I'd heard that voice before. As recognition dawned on me, I felt my blood run cold. _That had been __the voice in my nightmare._ Despite the warmth of the air, I shivered and dug my nails into the soft tan wood, trying to disguise my shaking hands. _  
_

"-a liar. For someone who hates fear, you sure do cater to it."

The voice was honeyed and fake, though jagged anger ripped through the edges. I shuddered, and Melissa gave me a worried look.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Faye. Now get lost and leave everyone here alone, you idiotic mustelid!"

The second voice was rough, and didn't sound so forced. I longed to open the door and see who they were, but a part of me didn't _want_ to know. Stupid, really. Animals in the city fought all the time, and the similar voices had to be a coincidence... Right?

"Insults really aren't endearing, you know. And don't pretend you're unaware of the shortcut. They could be safe and sound by now, but they're not. Because of your selfishness and denial. I know what happened by the ticket booth that night. You'd do anything to ease your pain, even pretend to help random strangers because you swear no one else will die that way. You can't keep running forever, _Jaded_ _Lady_."

The sound of glass shattering on concrete echoed through the emptiness, and I nearly fell backwards. Dad would be proud of me.

"You're so predictable, raccoon. Always resort to violence because you don't know how to handle your emotions."

My heart pounded in my ears as I tried to make sense of everything I'd just heard. A shortcut, and something about fear. The part that had knocked me off guard was that mocking voice saying "_Jaded_ _Lady_". What was Jade doing with this 'Faye'? And what was _she_ afraid of?

"Guys, we gotta leave." I said, my voice shaking.

Hunter grabbed my hand and squeezed it, his eyes telling me he understood. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Images of monsters and a blood-stained blade haunted me every time I blinked, so I kept my eyes open.

"Are you kidding? It's getting good!" Cato's face was flattened against the floor as he tried to peek inside. The crack beneath the door was tiny, and I doubted he'd see anything at all. He completely ignored me, instead bumping his paw against the door loudly. The voices inside went quiet and I could hear footsteps drawing nearer.

"Cato!" Melissa hissed, grabbing his slightly bent tail and dragging him away. I jumped away from the door, and we crept quietly down the musty old hall, no one daring to look back. I moved jerkily, freezing whenever I heard something smash or a screamed insult. At least they seemed to have forgotten us.

We turned again, coming to a door covered in badly-drawn art and mildewy posters. Hunter tugged it open, posters rustling as the breeze caught them. He gestured for us to climb inside, and we did.

It was dark for a second, but luckily someone found the lightswitch. The room seemed to be an old closet, though all the shelves had been removed. Empty chip bags and old comic books covered the floor along with a few pop cans. Cobwebs hung from the corners, still trembling from when the door had been shut. Why did it _always_ have to be spiders?

"So this is..?" I asked, purposely trailing off.

Hunter bowed clumsily, and I giggled a bit.

"My secret hideout!"

Cato snickered. "Letdown, much? Talk about overrated!"

I had to admit, I'd been expecting something a little more... stylish. This looked just like our old home after one of RJ's all night ghost story gatherings. He always ended up making the stories too scary and getting in trouble with Penny and Lou. The kids, however, loved them. It was Hammy who got scared and wouldn't sleep for three days. No, that hadn't been cool. Not cool at all.

Still, I was never going to tell Hunter that. First of all because he'd think I was completely insane if I told him half the things my family did, and second because I didn't wanna hurt his feelings.

"It's really nice." I blinked slowly, a smile creeping over my face. I blushed a little, a first for me.

"That's sweet! So, after tonight are you gonna come back?"

I hesitated for a second. The truth had sunk in, sending the magic skittering away on a chlorine-laced breeze. If everything went according to plan, we'd be gone by early morning. The city was miles from where we were going, and I wouldn't even know the way back without Jade, or at least the map. I counted the cracks in the plaster ceiling as I accepted the fact we'd probably never see each other again.

"Yeah, I will."

It was a lie, but I couldn't bring myself to tell the truth. There would be time for goodbyes, and besides, he'd forget me in a week or two anyway. Gia had her eyes on him, and she was probably hatching some scheme right at this moment.

Hunter stepped over the heap of comics and stood next to me. I turned, and our eyes met. The light flickered above, and I barely heard Cato's rude remark or Melissa's sighing.

"Hey, can I tell you something?" He asked, a hint of shyness covering his usually confident expression.

"Yeah, sure. What is it?"

I closed my eyes, hoping he was going to say what I was thinking.

"I really like you, Heather. You're cool and funny and really brave. I think we should, you know, hang out more often. Be friends and stuff."

I was caught between being speechless and wanting to pour my heart out. Why did we have to leave? Maybe I could ask to stay another night, but that would only hurt more. I had right now, and that was it. Not enough, but it was something special. I thought back to our old home. Nothing lasts forever anyway. In the end, all we have for sure is now.

"I-I like you too. It'd be amazing to spend time together, and I wish with all my heart we could-"

I was cut off by someone pounding on the door, making the entire floor shake.

"Open up, teenagers. I know you're in there!"

Jade. She continued to tug at the door, but it didn't open. Hunter stepped in front of me, as did Melissa and shockingly, Cato. Maybe he wasn't as heartless as I thought.

"Who is that?" Hunter asked me, looking fiercely protective of his friends.

I sighed. "Someone I know. Open it, she won't hurt you... as long as you don't insult her." I glanced sideways at Cato, "and that means you, Cat." There was no point calling him Cato out loud. It only made him worse, I think.

"Yeah yeah. Open the door before I freak."

I reached up and grabbed the cold metal handle, nearly getting smashed in the face as she flung it open. My friends stared at her in horror, and she gritted her teeth. There was a nasty scratch across her face, and I pictured glossy black claws. Wincing, I looked away.

Cato smirked. "Nice scar, maskface."

She marched toward him, her face cold and steely.

"Want one of your own, kid?"

His eyes widened, and silently he puffed up and backed away.

She rested her hand on the knife and turned her attention to me. Some of the anger had melted away, leaving her looking worn-out and tired.

"Heather, get over here. We're going back to the room _now_. We leave the second that sun comes up." Her words were a harsh rapid-fire. My shoulders fell. It was goodbye already.

"Can I tell my friends bye first?"

Her face softened a bit, and she let go of the weapon.

"Go ahead, but make it fast."

She turned, slumping half-heartedly against the wall. I'd never seen her like this before, with all the determination and anger gone. She seemed so lonely and sad. I wanted to hug her and tell her everything was gonna be ok, but she'd probably punch me.

First I walked up to Melissa, who smiled brightly.

"Bye, Mel. Thanks for sticking up for me, and don't be afraid to put Cato in his place more often. I think we could be BFFs, you know."

I hugged her lightly and we shared a giggle over Cato, who gave us the evil eye.

"So long, Cato. Try to be a bit less of a jerk, ok?"

He hissed, and everyone else in the room laughed, even Jade. I think Cato was afraid of her, because he just skulked away and didn't say anything.

Finally I approached Hunter. What should I say? Play it cool, or tell the truth?

He pulled me into a hug before I could decide, and once again time stopped. I squeezed him tight, and I felt safe. His red fur was soft, and he wrapped his arms around me so gently, I felt like a butterfly. My heart fluttered just like one as I memorized every little feeling and emotion.

Eventually we broke apart, but I still felt warm. We shared a smile, both of us a little too shy to make eye contact again.

"Thanks, Hunter. The whole thing's been epic-awesome-amazing!"

I turned away, but he grabbed my hand.

"We'll see each other again, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I promise."

"So I guess this is goodbye, huh?" His green eyes looked sad, but he smiled softly.

"For now."

I let go of his hand and stepped away, carefully avoiding the old comics.

"Bye, Heather."

I was thinking up the perfect goodbye when I was interrupted once again.

"If this drags on any longer, I'm gonna die of old age!"

Jade was probably the least romantic animal that ever lived.

I laughed a little as we walked away from the messy 'secret' hideout. Jade muttered every time she stepped on a book, which was surprisingly often.

"See ya!" I waved at them, and they waved back. We were all smiling, and even though I was sad, I wouldn't have traded it for anything. There was something magical going on tonight. I remembered the shouting and the voice, but I forced them away and focused on the fun times.

I walked backwards until they were out of sight, still waving. Jade was silent, and I thought about everything that had happened. We might be leaving, but I'd carry this day with me for a long time to come. When everything went dark, it'd be a bright little night-light to keep me safe.

The walk back seemed to end too soon, and once again I saw the Skull Smasher through broken windows. It felt like forever ago, standing on top of that old platform, shaking with fear and determination. In reality, it'd probably been about three hours. Time was weird that way.

We met up with RJ and Jade called him every name in the book, but she didn't have the energy to pull it off convincingly and he just played along. After we left the pool area, I ran ahead and snagged an empty elevator for us. When I saw them again, Jade had her eyes closed and was resting her head on RJ's shoulder. She looked so peaceful I could barely believe it was _her_. His arm was wrapped protectively around her too-thin frame, and she wasn't even trying to slap him. Had the universe exploded?

I started to laugh loudly, but stopped myself. She would _so_ be hearing about this one later! I heard the elevator ding and we stepped in. I felt it going up as I though about all the crazy experiences I'd had. It hadn't even been three days yet, and I'd already had the adventures of a lifetime. From losing my home, to hiding from feral dogs, to finding new friends... What would be next, I had no idea. Still, it was pretty exciting to wonder...

_AN: Thanks for reading! Fave, follow and review if you enjoy! I love responding to you guys, so feel free to ask questions or requests. Can't make any promises, but I'll try my best! See y'all :) _


	12. Dancing With Dear Friends

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

**Author's Note:** _Wow, I am SERIOUSLY sorry for ditching y'all! I've been busy, but I get that that's not an excuse for all the times I was simply too lazy to bother. Please forgive me, you guys! If you've stuck around this long, you're amazing, beautiful and incredibly loyal :) Hopefully now I can focus on my writing a bit more, and I have every intention to update once a week barring special occasions. On the other hand, I'm now 16... so, uh... yay me? *crickets chirp again* Shout out to xXTigress1776Xx for being an awesome friend and doing an art trade with me. You rock :D I'm now on Deviantart as well, username: NyxyMaskalinaRaccoon so check me out if you want to see some of my art, including a few drawings of Jade. If any of my reviewers want to request a quick sketch, just ask and I'll try my best to make one for you._

**Review Replies:**

**Crackers414:** Thanks! You deserved one, you helped me out. Haha thanks :) Well it's been quite the wait, hope it doesn't disappoint!

**xXTigress1776Xx:** Thanks! I'm totally slow, but I'm also stubborn and I'm not giving up on this story!

**Guest115:** Aww thanks so much! Your review made me smile. I don't think my writing's all that great but I'm so glad others get enjoyment from it :) We still exist, we're just rare... Like diamonds! I'll keep on keepin' on, and thanks so much for the review! Totally late, but I hope your holidays were extra awesome!

**Fun Fact:** Despite what you may think, this fic is not abandoned!

* * *

Dancing With Dear Friends (Chapter 12)

_Jade_

I've had a lot of lonely nights in my life, but this one seemed to drag on the longest. The only noise in the empty kitchen was a cheap clock ticking, sounding more like mocking laughter by the minute. Light crept in through the balcony, occasionally tinting the darkened room neon pink or green. The old appliances cast wonky shadows and I was just waiting for some stupid zombie to jump out. _Brains. _Trust me, poorly rendered survival game sprite, mine are not the ones you want. They're pretty much fried already.

Truth is, the evil ferret face was right. There really is a shortcut, though it's overgrown and probably useless by now. The real reason I was avoiding it had nothing to do with bush-whacking, though. I've spent the last three years of my life running from the mistakes I made that night, and there's no way I'm ever going back to the twisted carnival of death. Yeah, the only way to access the 'shortcut' is through the east entrance of Happyland, a few feet behind the ticket booth. The place where _it_ happened. I shuddered, and not from the freezing ceramic floor. Fear was my enemy, but we all cater to it. I'm no different than you in that way, really.

Leading them around the city was a pretty selfish move, but then again, so was my motive. I was only helping them because of my promise... Right? It had nothing at all to do with the fact a part of me was dreading another goodbye and dragging this out a tiny bit longer than necessary. Not at all.

Leaning against the old wallpaper, I closed my tired eyes and tried to figure out the next move. I needed some pretty little lie I could wrap up and hand out to the innocents more than willing to believe. Was I proud of my little scheme? No. Did I have a choice? Also negative. The moment I lost their trust, they'd run off and meet with a much worse fate. No, it was all for the best. And truthfully, this was the first time in years I'd seen animals who cared about each other. It wasn't the only time, though...

...

_Glowing lights and mechanical whirring filled the evening air as we watched the last __rides of the night come to an end. Children were screaming for another round, their worn-out parents dragging them across the gum-stained pavement. A girl yelled at her father, demanding that he win her a rather deformed green panda plush. He smiled apologetically at the sullen teen behind the counter, his daughter now stomping her feet and pouting. An old man ate cotton candy, smiling serenely at the outburst._

_I doubled over laughing, and soon the small group of animals around me joined it. Air was a foreign concept, and for a second I thought I'd pass out. Blake nearly knocked me over, which only made both of us laugh harder._

_"They just get younger and younger, huh?" I choked out between giggles, tears stinging at the corners of eyes._

_The raccoon next to me shrugged, his blue eyes challenging me._

_"You sound like someone's grandma, Jaded Lady!"_

_Someone's grandma?! The nerve of that loser!_

_"At least I'm not high maintenance, idiot!" I said, slapping him in the face boldly. Not hard enough to hurt, but still._

_"You sure about that?"_

_He rolled his eyes and pulled me closer, the sparkling lights blurring together behind us. I looked up at him, since I seemed to be permanently dwarfed. Heck, even the younger animals were getting taller. Not that it really mattered, no one dared to mention it. Amazing what a few knock-out hits can do, huh?_

_I rested my hands on his shoulders, smiling slyly. It wasn't some magic romance novel moment, nor life changing, but I was pretty happy right now. I closed my eyes, the sound of roller coasters and bad music temporarily forgotten._

_"If they kiss I'm gonna barf!" Blake clutched at his neck, making gagging noises and collapsed. The thin tabby cat behind him shook her head sadly, staring at the raccoon dramatically twitching beside her feet._

_I jumped back, embarrassed. The cat gave me a knowing look, and I grabbed my still-twitching best friend and pulled him up._

_"Kiss RJ? Never! I'd get the plague or something!"_

_I grabbed my rather flat can of cola and took a sip, knowing I'd say something rather insulting and inappropriate if I didn't._

_RJ grinned. "If that's true, you have it three times over."_

_Blake laughed again, this one a little more forced._

_"I knew it!"_

_I shot him a dirty look, but he didn't care. That's what best friends are for._

_The annoying pop song ended, and was replaced by some sort of pub dance number. I looked at Blake, and I knew he got the message. We grabbed each other's hands, and I spilled a bit of cola on both of us, but we kept going. I kicked my legs in the air, looking about as graceless and stupid as raccoon-ly possible. We spun in a circle, everything smudging together as we gained speed. The summer air seemed to swirl around us like a tornado, our laughter rising toward the stars above._

_I started the singing. "We are the greatest of friends,"_

_"The closest of pals," he added, catching on._

_"The bestest of buds and coolest to chill with," we both sang, our voices gleefully out of tune._

_"And together we'll stay, until the very end of time and space!"_

_We slipped and both ended up face down in the dirt, the cola now spilling everywhere. I stepped over it, brushing off my fur._

_"We should do that again!" Blake laughed, wiping off the sticky soft drink on my tail. I yanked it away, trying to look angry. I obviously failed, though._

_"Now we gotta get more drinks," Tabbi said, staring at the mess._

_I was too busy watching the roller coasters making their last rounds to really care. In no time, we'd be riding them once again. It never got old. I had a pretty awesome life, like the greatest one ever. _

_Tabbi was still staring at the sticky cola, and I figured we should find her something else to avoid a hissy fit. Cats and their attitudes! _

_"Or we could get cotton candy," RJ said, nudging at us as he pointed to the soft pink clouds gently swaying in the breeze. The kid behind the stand was just starting to close it up, and if we didn't hurry he'd take it all home. We'd lost our beloved midnight snack one too many times that way. _

_"I'm for that!"'I said, and Blake nodded happily. _

_"Great, now here's the plan..."_

_Tabbi just sighed impatiently, her narrow green eyes looking both bored and curious, if that was even possible. _

_Blake facepalmed. "Oh yay! Another one of RJ's gloriously brilliant plans!"_

_Everyone except the aforementioned raccoon laughed, even Tabbi. A nearby coaster chugged past, temporarily blocking out our giggles. The lights were staring to flick off, and I smiled to myself. Another epic night at Happyland._

_"Hey, get me the very biggest heap of fluffy candy there, and maybe I won't kill you." I said, following the others to the stand. _

_An elderly woman in a stupid-looking hat meandered by, forcing us into silence for a minute. That might not seem like much, but when it came to us, that was a long time. As soon as she was gone, we carried on like always, laughing and joking and yes, occasionally insulting._

_"Yeah, you're not high maintenance at all!"_

_I was about to say something, but I was hit in the face by an oversized bag of pink sugar. My eyes widened as I ripped away the thin plastic. It blew across the now-deserted grounds while I stuffed my face with cotton candy. Yep, this was what they called the sweet life!_

...

My eyes shot open, the brilliance of the memory fading away all too soon. Empty room, no friends. It was all in the past now, some distant place I'd never see again. I hoped it was beautiful there.

"...and together we'll stay, until the very end of time and space."

I mumbled it sadly, looking up at the still-ticking clock. Three AM. My eyelids were heavy, and I slumped to the floor. I couldn't sleep, I'd have to wake up the others in two hours. Nothing wrong with a little rest though. It had been almost two days since I'd actually slept at all. I closed my eyes once again as past, present and fantasy blurred together.

* * *

"Wake up, Jade. You said we had to leave early."

I opened my eyes slowly, wondering what the heck had just happened. Three animals were standing over me, but my vision refused to focus for a second. Why where they waking me up? I hated mornings with a passion!

Wait a second...

"What?! What's wrong?" I grabbed my knife, jumping up and nearly skidding across the tile. I swung it haphazardly, not exactly sure what I had to hit.

"Woah, calm down!"

I tilted my head, taking in my surroundings.

"Verne? Stella? Heather?"

I watched them carefully, feeling incredibly stupid. Not only did I nearly make them into fillets, but _I _was supposed to be the one waking _them _up!

"Who did ya think?" Stella asked sarcastically, shaking her head slightly.

I stared at the ground. This day was already sucking, and it wasn't even eight yet.

"Sorry," I muttered.

Verne stepped forward, looking a little stressed.

"So where are we going? I looked over the map and I think we should stay on this road for a while longer."

I took a deep breath and composed myself. The sun was rising, the vibrant colors perfectly framed by the hotel'a balcony. The curtains were still moving, but this time it was a gentle sway. The kitchen didn't look nearly as survival horror-esque in the soft morning light. In fact, it was almost pretty.

"That's about it. We won't have to switch streets 'til tomorrow, so don't expect a change of scenery. If everything works out, we'll find some shack to crash in by nightfall."

"That's, well, that's very reassuring," the nervous turtle said, fussing a bit with his shell.

Stella had already left, her fluffy tail swishing as she walked. Heather smiled cheerfully, half-hiding something behind her back. I peered at it, wondering what she was trying to do. I guess I'd have to do the mature thing and ask instead of trying to sneak a look at it while also balancing a reptile panic attack.

"Look Verne, I'm trying. I'll do my very best to keep everyone here safe. I don't break promises, and that's a promise," I said, looking over my shoulder to see two of the porcupine kids driving plastic cars all over the now-crumpled map, "now you should probably take the map off the porcupines."

He ran off to do just that, and I watched in amusement. The third kid was still half-asleep, and Lou was doing his best to wake him up. So far, it wasn't working and to make matters worse, that was one overtired bunch of kids. This was gonna end in headaches and tears.

"Hey, Jade," Heather said perkily, still holding the thing behind her back.

I smiled, trying to look as calm as possible. I actually liked the possum girl, she was friendly and usually in a good mood. Pretty much the opposite of us city critters.

She handed me a small tray of cookies and a mini bottle of pop. I stared at it, wondering why she was showing such a thing to me. Were they low on food supplies or something? I barely had any left at all, so that would be a little worrisome. Food gathering was not one of my strong points, which is probably why I looked half dead in the fall and winter.

"Your breakfast. RJ said you shouldn't have to live off sugar-free gum and old fruit candy."

I hesitated for a second. First of all, I did not need his help in any way, shape or form. I was independent and proud of it. Second, their supplies were limited, and they needed it more than I did. I'd learns how to survive going hungry for weeks at a time, and hopefully they'd never experienced anything like that. Still, I didn't want to offend them either. I didn't have to worry about the idiot, but I want exactly close with the others.

"Uh, thanks.

I carefully took them, not wanting to drop anything. As much as I hated to admit it, they did look awfully delicious. I'd never tell him that, though.

"You're welcome! Thanks for the tips last night, they were totally awesome!"

It was touching, but I was taken a bit off guard by the statement, since I'd been so careful to keep my distance and not get attached. I was about to answer when there was a loud bang behind me. I whirled around, unconsciously grabbing my blade.

Hammy was balanced on the shelf, a saucepan now laying on the ground. He looked at it for a second before climbing up another level. On the top shelf was a box of dollar store cakes, faded and half-open. By the looks of it, they were at least a decade old.

The determined little squirrel reached then in no time, nearly taking out Penny with a frying pan as well. At least it hadn't been Stella, I guess. He grinned, eyes lighting up as he reached into the ancient cardboard and rustled around before pulling out a piece of whatever that stuff had been.

"What is it with you and overrated old food?" A familiar voice asked, and I ducked out of his sight.

Hammy's voice was muffled by a face full of old snack cakes, but I think he said "I like it!"

I searched the room for supplies as I waited for the others to have their breakfast. I'd save mine for later, when I really needed it. Most of the room had been picked over long ago, but I did find a facecloth, soap, a small first-aid kit and an unopened package of batteries. I shoved them all in my now-overflowing pouch, checking the time once again. We really needed to get going.

When I returned to the kitchen, most of them were just finishing up. I leaned against the doorway, still tired from last night. The cool morning air blew in from the balcony, and I watched as the city came to life once again. Cars hummed below, humans rushing on their way to work. The clubs had fallen silent hours ago, replaced by coffee shops and diners.

I longed to be outside again, even though this was the nicest place I'd been in years. The table was covered by a lacy cloth, though it looked more country farmhouse than millionaire mansion. Half the cupboards were open, revealing old teacups and a cracked vase filled with dusty old silk flowers. It must have been really nice back in the day, but time takes a toll on everything.

After the others packed up and I helped locate a missing racecar, we were ready to leave. The elevator ride was uneventful, and this time I managed to avoid being stuck next to RJ, thankfully. I climbed out last, avoiding being impaled and/or trampled by the crazy family.

I looked down from the escalator platform, admiring the oversized empty plant pots and tacky, worn-out carpet on the main floor. You'd never have guessed they had such a nice room in this 70's disaster. We walked past the hallway that lead to the pool, which Heather gazed at longingly. Last night felt like a lifetime ago, with the slide and the ferret freak incident. I touched my face, wondering if anyone had noticed the scratch. Hopefully not.

"This place was so awesome! Is there, like, anywhere else like this?" Heather asked me, looking so hopeful that I hated to disappoint her.

There were a few similar places, abandoned buildings that had been taken over by animals, but they were rare and vanished without warning. Ol' Rosie was the only consistent one on this side of the city.

"Not a lot, but they're out there. I'll try and find you another one before this is over, kid. I know it hasn't been easy."

She nodded thoughtfully before thanking me and running off to find her dad and make sure he didn't play dead on the escalators. The mechanical clunking they made was almost like a roller coaster, though a thousand times quieter. I went over my plan as we approached the lobby, which was far less crowded that it had been yesterday. Aside from the argument between Stella and Beatrice that very nearly got ugly, we left without too much of a hassle.

Outside it was a bit cool, the dew dampening my fur as we walked. The sidewalk glistened in the early morning sunlight, and a few of the puddles were slightly orange from the crumbling bricks that made up the Rosethorn. It smelled fresher than usual, and I was in an alright mood. I turned down an alleyway and gestured for everyone else to follow.

"Are you sure it's safe here? After those dogs and-" Verne started, but I cut him off.

"Yeah, it's safe if you avoid the humans and cars. Feral dogs here are pretty much nocturnal. Besides, RJ's face'll scare off almost anything." I laughed at the last part, but it didn't seem to go over as well with anyone else.

Sighing, I led them around a corner and past a homeless man. He looked rather alarmed at the group of animals walking past, but I hissed loudly and revealed my blade, cold thin metal glimmering through the mist. He turned his head and pulled down his dirty green hat, shaking his head and muttering something about hallucinations.

RJ laughed. "Looks like you're the scary one here, Jaded Lady."

I glared at him, though not harshly like I had at the crazy homeless guy.

"Be afraid, idiot. Be very, very afraid."

"I am!"

He held up his hands in mock surrender as we wandered through yet another twisting, graffiti-covered corridor. The sun glittered above, a few cotton-candy clouds dotting the sky. Sunrise was almost over, and so far we were keeping a decent pace. Ever the pessimist, I didn't expect it to stay this way. Still, maybe I didn't have to be _quite_ so cut-off and distant. Once this was over, everything would go back to they way it had been no matter what I did.

* * *

**Author's Note:** _Hopefully that was ok, my writing skills are a little rusty. I've had more than one request for a look at the past, so I decided to add the flashback for y'all! Thanks soooo much for reading, and don't forget to fave, follow and review if you like it :) :D_


	13. That's What You Get

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

**Author's Note:** _Well here's the next update for you guys! Sort of slow, but not too bad considering my track record lol. However since the next chapter is a Valentine's special, it'll be up extra early! All those hoping for something a little more romantic will enjoy it ;) Thanks to all my readers, whether you've been here since the start or just found it, it doesn't matter. I appreciate you all! Remember to fave, follow and review if you liked it as that really does make my day._

**Review Replies:**

**Crackers414:** Thanks :) Yeah it sort of does, I'll admit. Uh oh... I'm doomed! JK, lol. Aww that was so nice, thank you! I promise I will.

**xXTigress1776Xx:** Thank you so much! Yeah, I really enjoyed writing the flashback scene and I'm pretty proud of how it turned out :)

**Mouseygirl1411:** Well undead actually, but same thing, y'know lol?

**Fun Fact:** I watched a YouTube video on feral dogs in Detroit, so hopefully I can make this chapter a bit more realistic... Oh yeah, there's gonna be some action in this one! Also, CLIFFIE ALERT!

* * *

That's What You Get (Chapter 13)

_Heather_

A gust of wind blew against the soaking concrete walls, almost knocking me backwards. I continued pressing forward, barely able to recognize anything more than a few feet ahead of me through the blinding rain. A bolt of lightning shattered the silence, thunder seeming to shake the narrow alleyway only seconds later.

"Stupid freakin' storm!" Jade growled, wringing out her sopping tail harder than necessary.

"Maybe we should stop for a while, there might be somewhere to wait this out," Verne offered, glancing around.

Everyone came to a stop, their slouchy figures nearly impossible to tell apart from each other in the muddled grayness. Most of us were probably tired, I know I was. It had been two days since we left the hotel and we'd been walking for hours. Not to mention I hardly got any sleep the night before. There hadn't really been anywhere to stay, so each of us had to take turns being the lookout. Somehow I ended up with the longer part of the night shift, and that old brick foundation had been creepy!

I could hear footsteps sloshing through the rain as Jade marched toward us, arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes were narrow, frustration written all over her soaking wet face.

"You wanna be dog food? No? Then we can't rest. It's almost sunset, tourists!"

Her harsh words were covered by another boom of thunder and the rain pouring even harder, if that was possible. A rusty garbage can lid skidded through an oversized puddle, slamming against the nearby metal bin with a loud crash. I wouldn't have been surprised to see a tornado at that moment, honestly.

Verne shot the miserable raccoon an 'I told you so' look and she sighed, kicking at the cracked wall aimlessly and mumbling something insulting. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Hammy jumping happily in one of the smaller puddles and smiled a bit.

"Fine," she muttered, looking rather defeated, "in all my years, I never saw a dog out prowling in weather like this. Too risky. Good luck finding any shelter, though."

Since standing in the rain would just make things worse, we trudged on. Muddy streams crawled through the cracked pavement, pooling around sewer grates and foundations. It pounded on the metal roof of a nearby house, trickling down the walls. A few cars crept by with their windshield wipers squeaking, barely going any faster than us. The air was damp and smelled fresh, but that didn't exactly make up for being completely drenched.

No one said anything as we continued wandering, the sky slowly darkening. I wasn't sure if it was night or more rain, but it felt like evening, if that made sense. We were desperately looking for some little crevice to curl up in, but so far there wasn't even a trash can that wasn't flooded. I could almost feel everyone's hopes dropping with every step.

An hour later and we were still dragging our feet across the cold flooded concrete, though most of the rain had stopped. Roads sparkled in the flickering streetlights, the clearest puddles reflecting flashes of city lights. A few scraggly weeds were still clinging to raindrops, their stems heavy with the glistening new weight. It was a pretty, silent scene, but I didn't have time to appreciate it. Night was falling fast and our so-called tour guide was getting increasingly restless, which was never a good sign.

According to Jade, there was an abandoned warehouse on the corner of a nearby street, though none of us could see it yet. Verne was hesitant to trust her after her earlier outburst, but it's not like we really had a choice and so far she hadn't lied. RJ even stuck up for her, though she thanked him by saying he was a hopeless idiot.

Despite cracking a few jokes, there was an almost unsettling feeling creeping over me as we got closer to the sprawling building. Unlike the hotel, it was completely and utterly still. The only sound was water dripping from its flat, dented roof.

I barely blinked as we got closer, the old sliding doors moving slightly from a breath of wind. The walls were painted white, but most had peeled off or been stained by rust. Dead vines curled around the few areas of exposed brick, making it appear almost haunted. The thin, high-set windows were empty and pitch black, giving no hint at what was held inside. I trembled slightly in anticipation, noticing how Jade's hand never left her knife.

"Stay close together, be quiet and don't you dare wander off," she whispered harshly, her blade now liberated and shining, "because this is prime dog territory." I glanced behind my back, seeing nothing but the glow of wet pavement and an old dumpster.

"I'm going in to check if the place is safe. Feral dogs cluster around empty buildings like this one, so stay on your guard at all times."

"Got it, but what if something goes wrong?" Verne asked, nodding slowly as Penny and Lou held their kids closer.

Hammy wrapped his arms around Stella and I squeezed my dad's hand. I felt a chill run up my spine as I watched the overgrown grass sway ever so slightly. This was terrifying, and it was real. Jade might be able to take one dog, but nobody stood a chance against a pack. If they got her, then they'd find me, my dad, my friends and... the thought was too horrifying to finish. If that happened, I'd promised myself I'd go down fighting.

Jade gritted her teeth as she though of an answer to his question. "Stay completely still and I'll distract them until you escape. If I don't come back," she paused, her voice eerily lacking emotion, "then I'll regret ever saying this, but I leave it up to RJ. He knows this area well enough to get you somewhere safe."

She glared at the other raccoon, though from the looks of it she really seemed to trust him.

RJ's eyes widened in shock as what she just said sank in.

"Jade, that's insane! You can't just run in there and fight these things on your own. It's not safe, it's crazy. Gimme a second, I'll think of a plan or something."

She rolled her eyes. "No time for that. We were supposed to be past this death trap hours ago but the rain slowed us down. And I promised three years ago that those dogs would never claim another life, and that includes mine. It's not death I fear, anyway." She snapped, turning her back to us, her cold eyes mirrored by the knife's blade.

A few seconds later she vanished, her tiny figure engulfed by the empty blackness of the door. At first no one moved, each second feeling like a lifetime. The dripping noise became increasingly repetitive and I found myself trying to calculate how long it was taking by the number of splashes.

We were huddled close together, a single car's headlights casting shadows on the powdery metal wall. Familiar shapes morphed into unrecognizable monsters as the darkness and silence returned.

It was shattered by the sound of smashing glass and a deep, bone-chilling growl.

Wide eyes sparkled in the moonlight as we quietly snuck behind the old bin. I froze as banging pounded through the thin metallic walls, my breath catching in my throat.

"Now what?" My dad asked, looking faint.

Verne slowly scanned the surroundings, but it seemed whatever was going on inside the warehouse wasn't coming out. "We don't move," he whispered, still watching the darkened building.

"We can't just leave her to die! Here, get inside the bin, it'll keep you hidden." RJ demanded, already scrambling to help Penny up. The cold navy walls were still slick with water and it looked nearly impossible to climb, especially for a feral dog.

My dad, Stella, the kids and Verne managed to get inside without too much trouble, but Tiger just kept falling off and making Lou very impatient. Not to mention the sound of cat claws on metal was mind-destroyingly awful.

Tendrils of mist were beginning to swirl around the empty parking lot and I couldn't help but visualize my nightmare. I looked from Lou to Hammy, reminding myself what was really happening. There was no time to focus on a stupid dream.

Tiger finally jumped in and landed with a loud thump, already followed by the porcupine. RJ kept looking back to the looming doorway, the occasional bang or curse all that was audible from the cave-like form. Turning from the ruined building, he glanced at me and Hammy.

"Can you guys get in okay?" He asked quickly, turning his head and staring at the warehouse once again. I knew what he was planning.

"Yeah, of course. Go if you want."

He nodded and ran off, also being swallowed up by the shadows. A second later the security light snapped on. For a second I thought it was weirdly slow, but then I saw what really triggered it. Claws clicked on pavement as it trotted toward a rusted and flaking part of the wall, stubby tail held straight up.

A feral dog.

Hammy whimpered and I grabbed his hand, hoping he would stay silent. We pressed our backs against the freezing metal bin as the dog froze, sniffing the air and growling faintly. I held my breath until it moved on, heading for the half boarded-up loading station.

It was much smaller than the others, with clumpy, mud-covered white fur and a broken tail. The eyes were cloudy and almost vacant as it stalked forwards, occasionally barking. Don't get me wrong, the thing was terrifying, but I wasn't about to let it get our friends either.

"We can't let it go inside," I said in a hushed voice, "RJ and Jade are in there fighting with who knows what, another dog would be too much!"

Nervously Hammy grabbed his tail, shaking a little as the creature snuffled at the ground nearby. Its ears perked up and light glinted off broken, yellowed teeth.

Hammy dropped his tail, watching. "Bu-but what do we do?"

I though for a second, noticing the pile of gravel and different sized stones only a few feet away. A firefly flew overhead and I grinned at the idea forming in my mind. Grabbing the squirrel's hand, I pointed to the crumbling heap and smiled slyly.

"Hammy, it's time to rock 'n roll!"

His face lit up as he stretched dramatically before starting to slam on an imaginary guitar. I almost laughed out loud as he continued playing at hyper-speed. He might just have a career there.

"No silly, I meant throw rocks at the dogs. You're awesome at air guitar, though!"

He stopped, tilting his head. "Oh, okay!"

We half-crawled to the rock pile, selecting a few of the bigger ones before hiding under a smashed wooded crate. Hammy lifted one of his and was about to throw it, but I stopped him.

"Hold on, we gotta wait for it to get closer first," I said, feeling the smooth, cool weight of the rock in my hand. Peeking my head out from between the splintery sun-bleached boards, I yelled at the dog.

"Hey weirdo!"

My voice bounced off the dented walls as it instantly stopped what it was doing and stared in our direction, clouded eyes piercing right through our flimsy shelter. Hammy stuck his tongue out tauntingly, which seemed to be the last straw. The feral charged toward us, claws pounding on cracked pavement and old metal as it got closer.

"Now!" I bellowed, raising my stone and steadying the aim.

I threw mine first, catapulting it through the air as hard as I possibly could. It sailed for what felt like hours before colliding with the dog's right leg. It skidded to a halt and licked at the injury before displaying its teeth and speeding up, more aggressive than ever. It wasn't working!

Hammy tossed his as I reached down to grab a different rock, the new one decidedly sharper. This time it hit the dog in the chest, which seemed to slow it down. I handed my stone to Hammy and grabbed a second one, both of us wordlessly deciding to take advantage of a stationary target.

The two rocks sped toward it, and I lost track of which was which. One struck the dog right in the face, the other slamming against its side. I watched it paw at its face, my heart beating so loudly I could practically hear it. The feral jerked its head around once before bolting down the road, tail tucked. Another car went by, scaring it even further until it was out of sight.

It had worked! I literally jumped for joy, giving a high-five to Hammy as he spun in circles joyfully.

"We did it!" He shouted, dancing randomly along with me as we walked away from our hiding place.

I flung my hands up in the air, mimicking a cheerleader. "Yay us!" I felt giddy and on top of the world, we were heroes! I think I could understand why Jade wanted to fight them so much. Winning sure did feel good!

Out of the corner of my eye I saw my dad trying to climb out of the bin, Verne struggling to hold him back so he didn't fall on his face

"Heather! What are you doing out there?" He asked, staring at the two of us like we were crazy. Well, maybe we were.

"Dad, it's okay! We did it, everyone's safe!" I ran for the bin, grabbing his hand and climbing up rather clumsily. My feet skidded on the slippery metal, but I didn't let go. We helped Hammy in, the whole family sharing a group hug. I was about to tell them all what we'd done when something made me stop cold in my tracks.

It sounded like a thousand metal crates clattering to the ground, slamming against the walls of the warehouse and echoing through every grimy alleyway. "Idiots!" a voice yelled, before being replaced by an agonizing high-pitched scream. All was silent after that, my eyes dry from not daring to blink. Maybe we weren't safe after all.


	14. Ruinin' My Bad Reputation

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

**Author's Note:** _I feel I owe you guys an explanation for my vanishing act! First my internet went down for a while, which was super annoying. Then I got the most evil cold ever and was too lazy to write. After that, writer's block. I'm sorry, I know I promised a special and I failed... Please don't ditch me! I read FIVE FREAKING HOW TO WRITE ROMANCE BLOGS for you.__ On another note, you can thank Kelly Clarkson for this update since her amazing new album inspired me. The title of this chapter is a nod to one of her songs._

**Review Replies:**

**xXTigress1776Xx:** Sorry you had to wait forever, hopefully this'll at least somewhat make up for it. I'm literally so happy you like it so much :D yep, you're right, it was Jade who screamed. Thanks again and here's your update! Hope you enjoy :)

**Crackers414: **Did I surprise you? Don't underestimate the power of my evil author abilities of doom! The weapon of never updating is cruel! Kidding aside, thank you and I'm glad you liked it :)

**Mouseygirl1411:** Because I'm a lazy butt, that's why. Sorry, friend.

**xXzombisteffiXx:** Oh my gosh, a new reader! YEEES! Freak out aside, thank you so freakin' much! I really get so happy when someone new finds this and likes it! I know, I know. Cliffhangers are bad. I promise there isn't one at the end of this chapter. Thanks so much, so happy you like the story. Another Jade fan? She's gonna get a big ego soon XD once again, you rock!

**Fun Fact:** This chapter was inspired by a song :D

* * *

Ruinin' My Bad Reputation (Chapter 14)

_Jade_

Pinned under a heap of dusty crates, I tried to piece together the fragmented pictures and sounds of what had just happened. There had of course been a dog, and it put up a pretty good fight, too. I did get a few decent hits in, but that only made the situation worse.

The thing had gone berserk only seconds later, bolting into the stack of metal boxes and sending them crashing to the ground. I hadn't had time to move, barely even managing to scream. Someone yelled my name frantically, and then it all went black.

My head was pounding and the room blurry as I pulled myself to freedom with shaky arms. The movement knocked a crate off balance, shattering the relative silence. It slammed into a second box, both clattering against the gritty concrete floor and breaking apart. Out of the corner of my eye something thin and white streaked by, vanishing through a vent. I froze instinctively, my head seeming to get worse with every breath. It hurt. A lot. As a bonus, I was seeing strange white things. Just great.

Vision hazy, I noticed that a broken fluorescent light had been switched on, filling the empty metal walls with a faint buzzing. A few moths flitted around the ceiling, but otherwise it seemed deserted. I vaguely remembered the dog racing out the door after it'd hit the stack of crates and figured that must've actually happened.

I reached for my knife, thankful it hadn't been lost in the mess. The blade was still exposed, glinting faintly in the dimness. Why did I even have it? Once again, I'd failed. So much for avenging Blake. I'd be lucky to even scratch one of those feral freaks. My arms were shaking from a mix of shock and rage left over from the fight, and I tried to hold them steady.

After crawling into the open, I carefully propped myself up against an old tire and scanned the oversized building. No dogs, but did it even matter at this point? They knew where I was, where everyone was. If I didn't hurry, they'd take a whole family this time. No matter what, I promised myself that wasn't going to happen. Swatting my bangs away from my eyes, I turned my attention to altering and fixing my failed plans, watching as the lights flickered and danced.

Anger burned inside me as my mind refused to focus, but the only one I could blame for this was myself. My nails dug into dry, cracked rubber as I tensed with rage. _Failure_. I couldn't even kill one freaking dog. Three years of useless training, it sure didn't seem to matter. Lying, cheating little letdown and waste of space. That was me, I'd been far too proud before. Despite my headache and dizziness, I slammed my fist against the tire and cursed under my breath at the impact.

Something moved in the corner of my eye, a shadow of some sort. Quietly I gripped my knife, even though I knew it was't gonna help. I could barely stay upright, let alone fight. My ears perked up, the sound of a zipper echoing faintly through the cave-like building. Curiosity got the best of me and I struggled to stand, my legs threatening to give out at any second. Clutching my stomach, I waited for the room to stop spinning before stepping away from my hiding spot. Brilliant light filled my eyes, leaving me stunned and fumbling for a weapon.

"Jade?" A familiar voice asked, "Is that you?"

Great. Not only did I lose the dog and nearly get flattened, I also had to deal with my least favorite idiot. I was so freakin' done with life. Really, just kill me now.

"Obviously, moron. What are you doing here anyway? You were supposed to stay with your family in case I didn't make it out of here."

RJ turned off the flashlight before appearing from behind a workbench. Other than a small cut under his eye, he seemed pretty much unharmed. Still, seeing the wound unnerved me a little. I guess I never thought anything could happen to him. Why did I even care? Must've gotten a concussion or something. Oh, who was I kidding. To think I used to be a fairly good liar.

"Yeah, like I'm just gonna leave you to get killed. Besides, they're safe. I made sure of that."

I glanced at my feet, the dizziness replaced with another, equally weird feeling. So he was worried about me? Idiot. If we both died, who knows what would've happened to the others. As much as I hated to admit it, I was truly starting to care about that crazy family. They were funny, sweet and actually loved each other. I wasn't used to that. To be honest, it scared me. Feeling anything other than hate or indifference was something I'd learned to forget, and it hadn't been easy.

"Look RJ, you don't owe me anything. I know you think being my friend or risking your life or whatever is the right thing to do. It's not. Just stop. You're- you're making me feel all screwed up inside, you idiot."

I slumped against the nearby crate, more out of failure than weakness. They trusted me, and all I could do was let everyone down. Blake would be so disappointed in me. Sighing, I fussed with my knife and stuffed it back into its well-worn hilt. When I looked up, RJ was standing beside me.

"Hey listen, okay? What's the point of this anyway? I'm not sure why you're acting like you hate me, but there's gotta be a way to fix it-"

I cut him off. My heart pounded in my chest, making it even harder to find the right words. I was usually so good at witty comebacks, too. My skills were definitely slipping. Soon they'd be lying on the faded concrete beside some cobwebby old box, completely forgotten.

"I don't hate you, stupid. It's the opposite. That's my problem, okay? We all know I'm a freakin' awful actress. Now let's get out of here, find the others and forget this ever happened."

He grinned and gently grabbed my hand, those blue eyes I'd always been so jealous of sparkling in the dim fluorescence. My face went warm and I looked down, wondering how the heck I could escape this one. I _had_ to escape. No emotions, plain and simple. I almost regretted that pledge.

"You're right, Jaded Lady. You really do suck at acting. If you ask me, I think you should stop. Can't know unless you've tried, right?"

He looked so confident. I wanted to slap him right in the face, but somewhere deep inside me I found the strength not to. Trust me when I say it wasn't easy.

"Uh, yeah, I guess..."

He looked genuinely happy. "Great! Just one thing, though. You gotta stop punching me, hitting me and slamming doors in my face. That does tend to hurt."

I blushed again, almost feeling guilty for what I'd done. Emphasis on_ almost._ He still deserved it for screwing up my entire life, getting in the way of a lifetime of plans and ruining my infamously heartless reputation. Yeah, that was fair.

"I promise, RJ. You have to stop being so annoying, though." I smirked a little.

He groaned jokingly. "Okay, that's not gonna be easy, but fine. Now what do you say we start fresh, hm?"

I couldn't help smiling like some kid who'd just been noticed by her crush. Well, I sort of was, in a way. Just a few years older. It was a strange sensation, different than anything I'd felt in a long time. _I liked it_. Thanks a lot, you obnoxious loser.

"I'm in," I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Our eyes met, and I actually felt happy. I wasn't going to think about the fact we'd have to say goodbye in a week, or the emptiness that would all too quickly follow, just like every other time something good happened. For now, everything was okay. It could never last, but nothing like this ever does anyway. In the end, all we'll have left are memories. Wow, that sounded lame, but whatever.

Carefully he pulled me closer, and I didn't struggle, punch or insult him, which was a first for me. Instead I rested the side of my face against his chest, my eyes fluttering shut peacefully. His arms were wrapped around my back and I wished that somehow this could last forever. It was almost too perfect. Something clunked in the background and another light flicked on, but I was too distracted to care.

"I gotta say, I like hugging you more than Hammy."

I let go of him, laughing out loud. Way to ruin the moment, but it sure was hilarious. Right now everything seemed a thousand times brighter, and I'd all but forgotten about the danger.

"Hey, that's no fair," I said sarcastically, my hand on my hip.

He shrugged. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck, meeting his gaze for a second before looking away and smiling. It wasn't quite as hard to understand why everyone was obsessed with this, I guess. Bunch of Hallmark loving idiots and their mushiness.

We leaned towards each other, until our noses were practically touching. Voices filled the room, but they were just background noise, unimportant and easily forgotten. My heart raced as I realized what was about to come next. Closing my eyes, I got ready for a kiss...

"Jade? RJ? Are you guys in here?" Verne called, pushing against a piece of cardboard.

A box was shoved aside, revealing Stella. "They're over there," she answered, stepping over a fallen hammer.

My blood went cold and I tried to pull away, but it was too late. My pride would be about as alive as the average dinosaur after this one. Two pairs of eyes watched us curiously, and I was ready to take a cue from the possums and fall over dead.

"Oh hey-" Verne said, before noticing what was going on. "Uh, sorry," he mumbled, staring at the floor awkwardly.

"Um, this isn't what you think..." I stuttered, keeping my eyes directly on my feet.

The skunk rolled her eyes. "Right. Wait 'til Heather hears about this one."

I gasped. "You wouldn't dare." I realized later how stupid a thing that was to say, but there was no fixing it.

Stella turned around with a flip of her tail. "Watch me." I could hear her laughter as she strode away, obviously happy with the information she'd discovered. She stopped outside the doorway, her shadow almost menacing against the half-stacked boxes of dust and old engines. "C'mon, I'm tired of waiting!"

"Why are you in here anyway?" RJ asked, trying to get a look outside the paint-streaked metal door.

"You disappeared inside for half an hour after all the banging. I though something happened," Verne said, looking us over as we walked, "I'm guessing the dog's gone, too."

I nodded, my hand resting on the knife's glossy hilt. It was nice to leave the stuffy, dark warehouse and its humming lights. Outside, crickets chirped in the background, and the long, bluish grass stirred occasionally amongst the cool night breeze. It was starry out, and there was almost a feeling of magic in the air.

The turtle looked relieved. "That's good."

Stella was still there, and unfortunately she wasn't about to shut up about what she'd seen. "What's going on with the raccoons anyway?" She asked sarcastically, staring at me as I fussed with my leather strap awkwardly.

I sighed, but RJ looked almost proud.

"Well," he said, putting an arm around my waist and smiling slyly, "you could say we're together."

"That's great for you guys, I'm sure," Verne mumbled, not really paying attention. He was too busy watching every single blade of slightly moving grass to notice much of anything. A couple of cars went by, crunching gravel temporarily silencing the crickets. Overhead one of the trees swayed, a bright green leaf gently gliding down and landing on the moonlit road. You would almost think it wasn't Westfield.

I caught sight of the others, peering out of an industrial-sized trash bin like crazed meerkats. All of them looked relieved to see us. Crisis averted, at least for now. So far the shortcut was still secret and we'd ditched the dogs. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for the ton of explaining I'd have to do once we were safely reunited. This was gonna hurt... Well, my pride at least.

* * *

_Hope you liked this chapter, I'm sure it wasn't my best but I tried. Writing with a fever rarely works out well XD You likies the fluffy stuff, or no? I'd be perfectly happy ditching it lol. Luckily the next chapter won't have nearly as much :D Thanks again and remember to fave, follow and review because your support really does make my day! Bye y'all!_


	15. The Best Days

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

**Author's Note:**_ First of all, thank you to all my readers. Y'all rock, that's just the truth. The last chapter I posted had more hits and reviews than I've ever gotten on anything else. Since you seem to like the fluffy stuff so much, I've included some in this chapter as well. As a thank you from me, here's an update without the usual month-long wait. It's a little longer than usual so hopefully that makes up for the slowness. I didn't get it out nearly as fast as I hoped since we were on vacation, but I hope you like it and I'll do my best to update every week or so :)_

**Review Replies:**

**Guest 115:** Wow, I mean... dang. That's really amazing, I feel so honored! I'm glad you had a good time, so did I. Thanks so much, I really appreciate it and I have absolutely no plans to abandon this story, I'm quite attached to it lol. It just makes me smile so much to think people are enjoying my writing like that. Hopefully you like the update :)

**Crackers414:** Aww thanks! Well, I tried and it seems to be pretty popular. *hugs back*

**xXTigress1776Xx:** At last, right? I know I fail at updating, but I'm trying XD so you like them together? That's good, since I was pretty sure I failed epically at writing that part. It's cool you liked the imagery, I try my best to bring Westfield to life as well as it's inhabitants. Yes, she so totally is... A little, anyway. I know right, it's pretty funny :) Well the next chapter's here, and I'm fine now, thanks for asking.

**xXzombisteffiXx:** Yep, an actual update! Thank you :) If you wanna write a story, you should! I'll help if you want. If you mean you wanna write your own version of this one, that's cool too. Either way you totally should!

**Mouseygirl1411:** Yay! I missed you lol. Yeah that was pretty stupid, you think they could've at least given a warning before shutting it down but whatever. Aww thanks! Hope it was good enough for you :) Type as crazy as you want XD

**Fun Fact:** I know it's hard to believe, but we're about halfway through the story. Give or take a few chapters of course, but still... I honestly find it hard to believe! Since I'm not gonna take any more month-long holidays, it should be done before summer.

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The Best Days (Chapter 15)

_Heather_

One of the first things I noticed as we meandered down a side-street was how nice some of the houses looked. Most of the cobwebby porches and dead houseplants were gone, new windows glinting brightly in the warm sunlight. Even the sidewalk was cleaner, bathed in the shade of young, delicate trees. After the insanity of last night, I was really enjoying the peace.

The atmosphere was perky as we walked by, chatting, laughing and generally having a good time. Even Jade seemed cheerful, humming quietly as she strode ahead. I would've been confused, but once I caught her and RJ stealing glances at each other for the third time, I knew. Plus Stella had totally dished, but that was our little secret. Well, not really, but no one else seemed to care.

Verne flipped through the folded map, stopping for a second to look at the road ahead. Cars drove by, but it was the middle of the day, so they weren't completely frantic and actually stopped at the new-looking lights that dangled from a wire above.

"Looks like we should turn here," he said, his face slightly obscured by the shadow of an overflowing flowerpot.

Jade's eyes flicked away from RJ for a second as she checked the road sign, her smile still obvious. There was no denying the girl had it bad. She wasn't yelling as much though, so it was probably a good thing for everyone, including the target of her affections.

"Yeah, that'd be it. Should reach the park any minute now."

We turned, waiting for the light to change before scurrying across the road. There weren't any trees lining the sidewalk here, so the pavement was hot. I carefully walked along the thin strip of grass beside the curb to avoid burning my feet. That was the only downside to summer in the city, it seemed. Hopefully we wouldn't have to worry about it once we reached the campground.

It didn't take long for the trees to reappear and the road to thin out once again, lined by neat, old-looking homes. Up ahead I could hear the sounds of children laughing and a bubbling fountain. Music also drifted by, and I caught myself singing along quietly. Other than a few birds overhead, the street was deserted.

Wandering away from the group, I hopped off the shaded, cool sidewalk and pressed my face against the freshly-stained wooden fence. Behind it was a typical backyard, grassy and littered with plastic toys and lawn chairs. An old swimming pool blocked most of the view, but I could make out a huge open field filled with people running and strange, tent-like buildings. I tilted my head slightly, curious about what I'd seen.

After peeling my eyes away from the commotion, I caught up with the others, slightly breathless from running. They were all standing still, staring in awe at the scene in front of them. Hammy was practically bouncing with excitement and the kids looked ready to run off at any second, their eyes following a nearby boy's shiny balloon. Tiger puffed up a little at the sight, which caused Stella to roll her eyes while Verne checked the map for some sort of explanation. From the puzzled expression on his face, it obviously didn't have one. My dad was frozen in place, watching the craziness with wide eyes. It looked amazing, I'll admit.

Covering the softly rolling hills were colorful striped tents, cars and even a few streamers blowing in the breeze. Kids stood around a flimsy stage, watching with glazed expressions as someone in a strange costume juggled plastic bottles. There were food carts as well, surrounded by families picnicking together in the summer heat. Nearby it seemed the fountain was pretty much deserted, white water shooting up and spreading a cool mist over the surrounding garden. Yeah, pretty awesome if you ask me.

"Looks like we caught the Summer Carnival," RJ said, his eyes fixed on one of the candy vendors, the cart's brightly-wrapped treasures visible even from a distance.

Jade laughed sarcastically. "Didn't know they even still had that. Freakin' crowded as always."

Verne had put away the map and was now watching everything, nearly being knocked over as Hammy chased after a bright red kite, slumping in disappointment as it caught another breeze and flew upwards.

"So uh, now what?" The turtle asked, looking around nervously as a family walked by.

RJ gestured to the left. "How about we check out the fountain first? No one's nearby, and I can get a good look at what's going on." He grinned mischievously as yet another kid lined up at the candy booth.

No one argued, so we snuck over, hiding behind slightly wilted decorative shrubs and plants. The last thing anyone needed was to be caught. As we'd learned before, humans didn't take too kindly to us crashing their parties. A bright yellow butterfly flitted past, landing gracefully on one of the healthier flowers. I smiled, stepping over a broken stem as we approached the bubbling water.

It didn't take long for the splashing to get louder, and soon I could feel the occasional drop of water on my fur. I stood up, my hands resting on the warm concrete side as I admired the shallow pool. Sunlight reflected in my eyes, bouncing off the clear, rippling water. I blinked, noticing the hundreds of coins spilling out of the overfilled drain and spreading everywhere, some almost close enough to touch. Most were copper, but a few bits of silver gleamed amongst the occasional plastic toy or necklace.

The view was distractingly pretty, and for a second I forgot what was going on, my mind wandering to the events of last night. Did I really fight off a feral dog? It had been so real, the heavy air and rusted warehouse. Crickets chirping, the roughness and weight of a rock in my hand. _Dangerous. _Yet looking back in the sunlight, I barely believed I'd actually been there. It seemed more like a movie scene or even a preview, honestly.

Something cold and wet hit me in the face, breaking off my train of thought. I opened my eyes to the familiar sting of chlorine, water dripping down my neck. Just past the edge of the fountain stood the porcupine triplets, smiling innocently in waist-deep water. Under their feet were heaps of sparkling coins, though they were holding most of the plastic action figures. I had to laugh, despite the surprise splash attack.

"Hey Heather," they yelled, "the water's warm!"

Taking the hint, I climbed up the edge and swung my leg over, about to slide in calmly. As I watched the kids playing, I got a better idea. I hadn't survived that crazy Skull Smasher waterslide for nothing!

"Uh no, it's totally not!" Jumping up, I leaped forward, the summer air rushing through my fur. Gleaming water filling my vision before I landed, creating a small tidal wave and completely drenching everything nearby, including the kids.

"No fair!" They bellowed, slamming me with a triple attack. I was a second too late, and it hit me full force, temporarily blinding me. I shook off, accidentally spraying Penny and Stella in the process. The two of them were sitting on the side of the fountain chatting, but they stopped to give me a dirty look. I nodded an apology before flinging as much water as I possibly could at the kids.

The water war continued, our laughter mingling with splashes and shouts. Toys and coins were thrown around carelessly and I even managed to splash my dad, who of course collapsed dramatically, earning me a round of applause from the now-victorious porcupines.

Everyone except Tiger at least tried out the fountain, though Verne was too worried about being seen by humans to really have fun. It was obvious he didn't approve of the crazy water war we were having, but no one had any intention of stopping. Hammy, Lou and RJ all joined the battle for a while, though Lou left after being tackled and RJ was more interested in collecting every coin, necklace or toy he could find.

An hour flew past, all the crazy fun blurring together under a vibrant summer sky. It was almost like old times, and I hadn't had this much fun since leaving the hotel and the friends I made there. After a while I decided to get out and go for a walk around, since only the kids and Penny were still in the water, splashing at each other half-heartedly. I hopped over the side, ignoring the heat of the now-damp pavement. Pushing aside a few delicately flowered branches, I followed the faint sound of music until I reached the main part of the park.

It was even more crazy up close. People milled around, but most were pretty much oblivious to my existence. The striped tents were bigger than I'd imagined, colorful, flimsy material blowing in the breeze and occasionally revealing strange things inside. It smelled like popcorn and sugar, which admittedly made me a little hungry. Still, everything was way too new and interesting for me to worry about lunch. Or anything else, really.

The kid's stage had been replaced by a local band, and I stood under the softly speckled shade of a tree watching them until the crowds became too much. Workers and families alike gathered around, the occasional flash of a cell phone competing with the glare of the sun. As much as I was enjoying the music, there was no way I could stay without being seen. I sighed, taking one last look at the soft mossy bark I'd been leaning on before creeping away slowly.

I was almost stepped on twice by humans in cheap flip-flops before I found somewhere deserted, near a shadowy clump of pines. Many of the nearby tables and tents had been abandoned by their owners, most likely because of the free music. Or because the pines were creepy, I guess.

The place was silent except for a few humming cicadas hidden amongst the branches above and an occasional burst of music from the back of the stage. It was nice, but pretty boring. I was just about to turn around and head back to the fountain when I caught sight of Jade and RJ. They were walking together, though Jade kept stopping to insult the empty booths. RJ was carrying a bunch of different candy bags, all appearing neon against the shadowy trees. One of the branches bobbed as though it'd just been moved, but that had to have been my imagination.

I waved, but from the looks of it, they didn't notice. Checking to make sure the coast was clear, I got closer. Surprisingly, neither bothered to look where the footsteps were coming from.

"Why does anyone bother with something as stupid as a kissing booth? I mean, really? I wouldn't freakin' kiss someone for a shiny coin!" Jade complained, putting her hand on her hip and once again glaring at the deserted booth.

RJ shrugged before pulling his hand out from behind his back, revealing one of the quarters from the fountain. He grinned slyly.

"You sure?"

"Idiot," she muttered, a slight smile on her face.

I looked away as they kissed rather awkwardly, not knowing what to think. They obviously hadn't intended for anyone to see them, though it wasn't exactly a shocker.

"Eww, gross!" A voice yelled from behind me, and I turned to see all three porcupine kids sticking their tongues out and booing. Why were they following me?

"What are you guys even, like, doing here?" I asked, watching them with confusion.

Spike, who was closest to me, answered.

"Mom wouldn't let us play in the fountain alone so we followed you." His expression had been casual, though it turned horrified when he caught sight of the raccoons.

"Okay then. I was kinda planning on leaving anyway, so I guess you can come with me."

They nodded, and I led them under a faded picnic table as a couple of teenagers in neon clothing wandered past, too busy texting to notice anything. After they were safely out of sight, we walked past the raccoon couple again on our way back to the fountain area and the rest of the group.

"I can't believe I thought you were cool!" The kids hollered, causing Jade to look absolutely mortified and just about ready to punch RJ. I mumbled an apology and ran after the kids, who were now playing superhero with their new, slightly sun-bleached figurines, cheap fabric capes blowing stiffly as they raced by.

I'd just caught sight of our family when the kids realized they'd lost one of their tiny plastic superhero weapons. I really didn't wanna spend hours looking for it, but I figured Penny and Lou would have a hard enough time convincing them to leave anyway, let alone without their beloved new toy. Rolling my eyes, I led them backwards, coming to a stop at the last place they'd last seen it.

After combing the area for a few minutes, I actually managed to locate the annoying thing in front of the picnic table, covered by a tuft of grass. I laughed lightly from frustration as they cheered and ran off, the sun starting to creep behind a row of houses.

Verne was tapping his foot impatiently when I got back, though everyone else looked pretty relaxed. Tiger was lounging happily on a sun-warmed stepping stone next to Stella and my dad was taking with Penny and Lou. Hammy was asking RJ a bunch of rapid-fire questions, and Jade just stared at everyone with crossed arms and narrow, cynical eyes.

It didn't take long for the kids to tell Hammy what they'd seen the raccoons doing, and the squirrel's eyes lit up with glee as he began to sing.

"Jade and RJ sitting in a tree-" he was cut off by the sound of a knife being flipped open, the color of the blade almost perfectly matching its owner's steely eyes.

"Now she's going to M-U-R-D-E-R me!" He ran behind one of the nearby shrubs, hiding until my dad eventually coaxed him out. Jade just gave him a death glare, though her knife had been put away. RJ placed a hand on her arm, trying to calm her down as she practically shook with rage.

"Jade, you gotta stop," he said calmly, but she just slapped him away and stalked off in a huff, punching an unfortunate plant before turning her back on everyone. RJ sighed, following her.

The kids were still playing with their action figures, multicolored paint tinted pink by the beginnings of a sunset. Many of the families were leaving, minivans and SUVs filling the otherwise quiet street. It was still clear out, but the temperature had dropped considerably and I wrapped my arms around my chest to stay warm. A junebug buzzed by clumsily, apparently unaware it was a month early.

Two bags of candy fell from the wagon as Verne grabbed the map, glancing over the now-familiar web of streets. We were getting close to the campground now, and from the looks of it we were more than halfway through the city already. It felt like a thousand years since setting off, and yet at the same time I could've sworn it was only yesterday. Time is a funny thing when you think about it.

Setting the map down and picking up the candy, Verne eyed the falling sun.

"I think we should get going," he said, looking in Jade's direction, "it'll be dark soon."

The cynical raccoon heard him and stomped over with a flip of her tail, glaring at everyone.

"Yeah, you could say that. Don't have to worry about dogs much here, they don't come this far into the rich side." She snapped, sarcasm dripping from her voice as she tugged on her leather strap.

"'Least I've never seen any here. If I remember right there's an old shed about twenty minutes from the park. Ain't a lot of places to sleep, but I'll make do because that's what I'm freakin' best at. Don't get too comfortable though, we'll be at the campground in four days max, and then it'll all be over."

The harshness of her voice faltered on the last sentence, and a flash of sadness softened her otherwise tough face. She slumped in defeat, her already tiny frame losing an inch.

"Let's go. Sorry for yelling at you, I'm an idiot."

She turned around, motioning for us to follow. It was my dad's turn to pull the wagon, wheels creaking as we walked slowly to the road. Campfire smoke drifted on the air, backyards lit up with candles and laughter. I smiled as we passed some kids playing with a flashlight, too excited to wait for dark. The light was fading fast, but we took our time as there was no rush. This was the safest place we'd been since the suburbs.

Jade had stopped up ahead, watching us. Her expression was unreadable, but she didn't look cheerful like earlier. RJ noticed it too, and he was talking to her as we caught up.

"You're not an idiot, Jaded Lady. Sure, you're rude, temperamental and sometimes downright violent, but that's not the point-"

She grinned slightly, though her pale eyes were still empty. "I'd believe it, but I don't think you can judge who's an idiot, considering that's exactly what you are."

He pretended to look hurt, even though she was obviously joking.

"Hey!"

She laughed, and this time it was genuine. The two raccoons kept carrying on, getting quite loud before Verne reminded them that it would be best to find the shed before everything got completely dark. There were no streetlights on this road, though the moon was shining brightly, illuminating trees and rooftops with a silver glow. All seemed to be forgiven, at least for now.

We continued on our way, having a pretty good time and being fairly careless. My dad complained dramatically, which was quality entertainment for everyone else. Dusk was coming quickly, but no one seemed particularly nervous. Looking back, I realized it really had been a great day. One of the best we'd had in a while, for me anyway. I skipped ahead happily, admiring a kid's chalk artwork on the sidewalk that appeared almost elegant in the moonlight.

Our fun was cut short by the distant sound of barking that echoed down darkened streets, causing everyone to tense up automatically. My dad dropped the wagon, its handle hitting the concrete with a loud thump. Jade had her weapon out in a matter of seconds, standing defensively and listening with her tail slightly puffed. I barely breathed for what felt like an eternity, my eyes nervously darting behind vans, under porches and up shadowy driveways.

After a few minutes, it still hadn't repeated. The crickets were chirping, and other than a man having dinner in his backyard, it seemed empty. I cautiously looked over my shoulder, but nothing was there.

"Nah, can't be. Probably someone's pet wants to _play_." RJ said as Jade stared into space, her fist clenched tightly around the knife.

She relaxed a bit, but the blade still glimmered in the moonlight as we walked, no one daring to make much noise this time. Anyone so much as stepping on a twig made Jade flinch, and we were all relieved once she led us inside the cozy, rather clean shed.

I flopped down on the crinkly bags of soil and mulch, the rough plastic feeling cold and slippery under my back. It smelled like damp earth and old plants, which made perfect sense. Pots and gardening tools were stacked messily in the corner, and near the ceiling a small window let in a hint of light, illuminating the tiny place. There had barely been room for the wagon, but somehow we'd made it work.

Jade slammed the old doors closed, locking them as best she could with the rusty latch. I closed my eyes, wondering what would happen next, tomorrow even. There was no way of knowing, but I figured something crazy would happen, because it always did. When I opened them a few minutes later, Jade was the only one still sitting up. She whittled away at a stick silently, never seeming to look up or even blink. Her hands looked so natural holding the knife, it was almost strange. It made me glad we'd be leaving Westfield soon.

It seemed so safe and comfortable in here, and it didn't appear I'd have too much trouble falling asleep as I thought of all the crazy adventures we'd had and the friends we'd made. The end was in sight, getting closer every day. Hard to believe, but true. No need to get ahead of myself though, because it was far from over. Very, very far, in fact.

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**Author's Note:** _Well that's that. Crazy long lol, but whatever! Hopefully you enjoyed it, and yeah, Jade's still got an attitude XD this wasn't the most plot-heavy chapter and also not my greatest, but after all the danger I thought they deserved a break! Not for long though! Also, GUESS WHO'S RETURNING IN THE NEXT CHAPTER? If you said Chase, you'd be right ;) MWHAHAHA! Thanks for reading and remember to fave, follow and review if you liked it :)_


	16. Reckless Fights and Bitter Nights

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

**Author's Note:**_ Chapter 16 here, and it's another long one. I know the last one was kinda dull, but I hope this'll make up for it. Jade finally gets to do what she's been training for since losing Blake, but is that really the path she wants? As for the incredibly long wait, I'm sorry. Things are really messy in my life right now and writing has kinda taken a backseat. Hope you all enjoy, friends. _

**Review Replies:**

**Crackers414: **Thanks, and yep, why not right?

**xXzombisteffiXx: **Honestly there's not much to wreck XD, but only do it if you want to! Thank you and yes, I totally do! Lol I make no promises, and you might wanna get fighting :D You have good reason to be scared, and don't worry about rambling. I do it ALL THE TIME... Like right now!

**Guest115: **Aww thank you and I'm glad you liked it :) I apologize for the wait, and it makes me smile to know you enjoy it so much!

**xXTigress1776Xx:** That's awesome you liked it so much despite the literal ton of fluff XD I'm glad you like the character development, that's awesome! The wait is over at last :D

**Fun Fact:** Everyone's most loved character makes a return appearance in this chapter! Get ready to welcome back CHASE! I decided to have our favorite fox reappear since everyone adores him so much... Haha no. You might hate him a little less after this, but then again... You might hate him more. Depends if you like the action or the romance better.

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Reckless Fights and Bitter Nights (Chapter 16)

_Jade_

A particularly fast car zoomed by, distracting me from my thoughts. The sidewalk was clean, and overhead glass office towers bathed in the afternoon sunlight like glimmering diamonds, annoyingly bright and headache-inducing.

Aside from a few pigeons, the area was devoid of nature. We'd left family homes and shaded streets behind as we entered Westfield's final stretch. The place was a far cry from the collapsed houses and dilapidated shacks of downtown, but just as ugly in my opinion. Too fake and cleaned up. I hated perfect, it was boring and predictable. Give me something dangerous and real any day.

I could hear the faint sound of conversation and wagon wheels behind me, but I was too far away to understand much of what was being said. At least from the sounds of it they weren't talking about me or any supposed shortcuts. Okay, I was being a bit paranoid, but could you blame me? Everything had been going just a little too smoothly, and in my experience that was never a good sign.

I ducked behind a trash can, eyeing the buildings in front of me with silent suspicion. Since there was a distinct lack of foliage or decent hiding places, it was my job to scout ahead and scare off any humans that might be lurking. Thankfully so far we'd managed to avoid being seen, but it was stupid to count on luck alone.

I was about to say that everything was good when I caught sight of someone exiting a nearby store. Heels clicked on pavement as she got closer, and I was hit with the intense desire to laugh out loud.

The woman was coated in makeup and wore an incredibly elaborate red gown, complete with matching embroidered jacket. Her hair was styled in a way that faintly resembled a bun, but ended up looking more like a particularly frizzy dead animal. Behind her was a morbidly obese pug stuffed into a tutu, literally being dragged along by the crystal leash pinched between her perfectly manicured nails, grunting miserably as it tried to keep up. _Note to self, not all dogs are violent or destructive. The domestic variety seem more pathetic than anything else._

"Nice hair," I commented dryly, and she turned to look at me, her beady eyes going wide with horror.

"A raccoon! Disgusting!" she shrieked, jumping back at least two feet and nearly strangling her waddling pet.

I rolled my eyes. "Disgusting, huh? Yeah, that describes you pretty freakin' well."

The walking good hair day yanked on her leash and jogged away, her pug almost falling over twice as it tried to avoid suffocation. I snickered at them, scanning the area once again. Traffic lights flashed, appearing all the more bright in a landscape of monotones. Vehicles speeding past created shadows on the sidewalk, but otherwise everything was still.

"Clear!" I yelled, and the others emerged from behind a stack of glossy crates. I paused for a second, watching Verne read the map. He'd gotten quite good at it and no longer needed anyone's help, let alone mine. I'd be out of a tour guide job if the place wasn't a total death trap, and to be honest that made me rather sad in a strange way.

"Looks like we're near the edge of the city," he said, folding the paper neatly.

"Sure are," I blurted, "this'll be our last full day in stinkin' Westfield. Campground's getting close now. Should be there in a couple of nights max, so enjoy the sights while you can." Obviously I was being sarcastic, as there was nothing even remotely enjoyable about this freak show excuse for a city.

Realizing how close I was to goodbye made my heart break a little, but I was also grateful. So far no one had been hurt, and I was hoping by the time any dogs figured out what was going on, the crazy family I'd come to love would be miles away and safe in their new home. I still felt awful about lying to them and practically leading them on a massive detour, and it was freaking me out. I mean, since when did I have a _conscience? _

It didn't matter. I'd face those canine monsters alone, death sentence or not. My skills weren't even close to the level I portrayed, but in this case what they didn't know couldn't hurt them. Better they believed I had a chance at actually keeping them safe and have fun as best they could. Everyone would hate me if they realized the truth, that I was nothing more than a temperamental liar with a death wish and an unattainable goal. Last week had been the first time in years anyone actually cared about me, and maybe it made me selfish, but I didn't wanna screw that up.

The day went by quickly, and we only stopped for a rushed lunch before continuing on our journey, building after building vanishing behind our backs. Occasionally I would catch RJ looking at me, and I smiled every freakin' time like some delusional idiot. There was a little twinge in my chest when I realized it couldn't last, but I pressed on and tried not to think about all my stupid, complex feelings for him, instead focusing on how the sun was starting to vanish behind the remaining apartments ahead.

A strong breeze picked up as we got closer to the lake, quite aptly named Smallwater. The average human could probably swim across if they wanted to, but it'd be pretty freakin' cold right now. Not to mention all the stupid yachts rich people loved to throw in it, white sails billowing behind the cityscape and hinting at a world free from pavement, pollution and feral dogs.

Across the murky water was the campground, and once we got past a few more buildings I was pretty sure it'd be visible. The forest would be for sure, and maybe even a few trailers if we were particularly lucky. Not that I had any affection toward campers, but it would probably be a reassuring pick-me-up for everyone else. Proof I wasn't a total liar, anyway. Alright fine, I was grasping at straws, whatever that meant.

To reach the fairly empty waterfront you had to go down a steep hill, the dated cobblestone path lined with brightly colored boutiques and art studios, most of which were hugely overpriced. It was supposed to give the illusion of a quaint ocean harbor, and while it failed miserably at that, it was still one of the nicest areas in Westfield.

"Ooh, can we go to the lake?" Hammy asked excitedly, staring at me with wide, hopeful eyes.

I smiled a little, shrugging. That had been the plan all along.

"Sure thing. Beach should be pretty empty at this time, so we're good."

It didn't take a particularly cute squirrel to convince me, either. Staying by the lake made the most sense, especially since there was almost always an empty boathouse or supply shed to hide in for the night. Truthfully finding a safe place to sleep shouldn't have been important since we were out of 'dog range', but it was, at least for me. No way I was gonna take risks now, when we were so close to safety.

We reached the edge of the water just as sunset was at its brightest, the sky almost glowing orange. I tried to avoid getting stuck in the damp sand, instead hopping over it and landing on the smooth rocks and pebbles. For the most part my plan worked, though I did end up leaving a few wet pawprints after an embarrassingly miscalculated jump. RJ grabbed my hand to help balance me, so it was worth the sand in my tail fur. It scared me to realize how attached I'd become, and I decided to try and maintain some distance, if that was even possible at this point.

We chose one of the less-used spots, the kids, Hammy and Heather all sitting down to build sandcastles together, cold waves lapping at their shadows. Tiger got a face full of freezing water for knocking over a remarkably good one and stalked off miserably before flopping down in the last remaining patch of sunlight. Sand stuck to his fur, spraying everywhere as he tried desperately to shake it off. Amusing, to say the least.

I wandered away from the scene and quickly found a little shack with peeling yellow paint that looked suitable for sleeping, nestled between two sand dunes and hidden behind a patch of wildly overgrown plants. Grasshoppers hummed softly, and a few delicate wildflowers bobbed in the wind amongst half-dead leaves. It smelled faintly of meadow, which was a major improvement over the lake. Definitely the prettiest place we'd be staying in so far.

Once I helped Verne and the other adults set everything up and get comfortable, I slipped away and vanished behind a dusty shrub. Brushing the brittle leaves from my face, I waited impatiently until it was possible to sneak off unnoticed. While I genuinely liked spending time with everyone, being alone was still something necessary for my sanity, especially with the whole more-than-friends, yet not-really-a-couple thing going on. Normally I wouldn't take the risk, but it _was_ supposed to be a safe zone after all. Reckless, I know.

The breeze picked up as I walked down the beach, somehow managing to make my fur even messier than the tangled disaster it'd already been. A seagull cawed overhead, floating through the cool evening air effortlessly and disappearing amongst wispy clouds. Up ahead I could see the sun-bleached remains of an old boat, tilted harshly to one side and buried under mounds of pale sand. I looked over my shoulder, the silhouettes on the beach still visible and now tinged peach in the fading light. Turning my attention back to the boat, I felt a tiny bit guilty for ditching them.

Getting closer, the wreck proved to be larger than I'd originally thought, and creepier. A few tendrils of dirty white paint still clung to its faded hull, swaying ever so slightly. The names of moronic teenage lovers were carved amongst broken splinters and I scowled, bitterness prickling my thoughts. Leaning against the roughness, I sighed quietly and watched the last of evening's glow disappear, lost behind the campground's dense, uninterrupted forest.

"Crazy day," I said out loud, trying to relax. Obviously I'd have to head back soon, but the stillness was nice, restoring even. Of course it couldn't last.

The faint squeak of muffled footsteps on sand snapped me out of my thoughts, hand instinctively reaching for a familiar blade on my leather strap. I waited silently, fingers curled around the black plastic hilt. I'd been expecting a human, or maybe some sort of bird. Hah, like it was ever that easy.

"Aye, sure it was, Jadey."

The voice sounded undeniably attractive, though very self-assured. It was also incredibly familiar. There was only one animal I knew who though speaking like an underpaid B-movie actor was impressive, and that would be Chase. Couldn't understand why he'd be here, but I was right, as always.

"You!" I growled, turning around to see him standing behind me, wearing a seductive smile.

"Like it could be anyone else," he drawled, brilliant green eyes catching mine and making me stare. He had the looks, there was no point trying to deny it. Too bad that pretty face had been wasted on someone so annoying.

I rolled my eyes, smoothing my fur and standing up before glancing at my knife with a bored expression. The charm game never worked on me, and I needed answers. Chase hardly ever left the hotel, and when he did there was a very good reason. For all I knew he could've been spying on me or doing something genuinely stupid, but for now I'd give him the benefit of the doubt and be less direct. Well, maybe a little.

"Cut the crap, Chase. You never come down here, so what exactly are you after? I'm sure your girlfriend of the moment doesn't appreciate whatever you're up to."

Fluffing his reddish tail absentmindedly, the fox stepped closer. "Who says I've only got one?" He laughed at his own joke, and I gritted my teeth in an attempt to avoid punching him again.

Apparently he noticed. "Not funny, I see. As for what I'm doing, I uh, decided to check out the lake. Looks the same as it always has, and I ain't swimming anytime soon."

It was completely unlike Chase to discuss the scenery, and his tone was more than a little off. I wasn't buying any of this for a second, but making a fuss over it would be a bad idea. If I played my cards right I could get him to reveal everything without too much effort, or at least that was the theory I was banking on.

"Sure-"

I never got a chance to say more. Casual scilence erupted into an echo of barking, furious, guttural and... _Feral._ There was no way that sound came from something domestic. The snarls were filled with unbridled rage, and from the sounds of things, getting closer by the second.

None of it made any sense, the dogs just _didn't_ come this far. It wasn't rare, it was _unheard of. _Trespassing in Westfield's rich area was too risky for them with the hundreds of police stations and security measures, not to mention there were plenty of innocent animals that could be tormented safely downtown. Something was wrong, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what, not to mention the obvious distraction preventing me from playing detective.

I locked gazes with Chase, knowing the protocol all too well. Both of us had been there, done that, and barely survived to tell the tale. My grip tightened on my weapon, and I grimaced, muscles stiffening. We were decent fighters on our own, so odds were we'd have a fair chance against the average feral dog if we worked together. That's what my rushed and panic-filled calculations suggested, and I didn't have time to debate or figure out something better. It probably wouldn't have mattered anyway.

I flicked my knife into position, Chase doing the same with his own weapon. It was larger and more showy, though the blade had been dulled considerably from all the fights he'd picked showing off. Silver shimmered in evening air as I turned around, catching sight of our new foe.

It was a medium-sized dog, with brownish, thinning fur and the usual smattering of scars. Tattered ears were pulled back, broken teeth half-hidden amongst a wrinkled and distorted face. My breath caught in my throat for a second, but I swear I felt something shift deep inside me. The hidden fear and manic, reckless urge to destroy was gone, replaced only with resentment and controlled rage. A quick glance at the fox beside me and I knew he was feeling the same determination, unblinking and beyond ready.

It snapped in my direction, but I didn't flinch. Time dragged on, the feeling difficult to define. It was if I was caught between wanting to stay cloaked by this second forever, and itching to attack immediately. My hands practically burned with the desire to slash and strike, but logic told me to hold back. It seemed like an eternity, both sides sizing up the competition and plotting their next move.

"You ready?" Chase asked, his voice startlingly calm amongst the huffing and growling.

I grinned, fully immersed in the moment. "Always have been."

We flew forward, wind streaming through fur and whistling in ears. Our tails blurred out behind us from the sheer speed, a cold wind nipping at my wide-open eyes. Blades held in front of our faces defiantly, we screamed until our voices melded and our throats hurt, the rest of the world melting away into an unrecognizable haze.

The first impact was almost painful, metal and flesh colliding with enough blunt force that my wrist was almost bent backwards. A high-pitched yelp echoed in the night, but it barely registered, and I found myself uncaring while we fought on bravely. Teeth snapped and paws collided with sand as I dodged randomly, a dance of raw survival instincts, and ultimately, death.

Chase got a good hit, and the dog froze, its clouded eyes staring into space. I was distracted for a mere second, shouting something encouraging. That had been my fatal mistake. There was a blur of greasy whiskers and yellowed enamel, but no time to process what was happening, let alone stop it.

My mind went blank as I was flung backwards, landing painfully on my back with a sickening crunch. It took me a second to realize the sound had come from a brittle twig I'd landed on, but honestly it didn't help much. Pain shot through my entire body while I desperately gasped for breath, my vision spotty as distant stars swirled overhead. Closing my eyes and surrendering had never been more tempting, but that just wasn't my style, now was it?

"Jade!" Chase cried roughly, "get up, raccoon!"

My mind cleared, and I already wanted to slap the obnoxious fox for his statement._ I am getting up, idiot. You wanna trade places? Didn't think so!_

My hands seemed almost clumsy, but I could still register the familiar feel of scratched plastic and metallic blade, a faint sting from cool night air filling my lungs. Chase was nowhere to be seen, and everything appeared to be fuzzy and moving too slowly. The dog was charging at me, and I could tell from the twist of hatred in its milky eyes it was going for the finishing blow.

I though briefly of how I might be rejoining Blake before remembering exactly what I'd been in the middle of. Avenging my best friend, protecting my other friends, doing something selfless for the first time in my life. My fists clenched as the fire of determination returned. There was only going to be one casualty tonight, and it_ wasn't_ me_._

Springing up shakily after a sudden burst of energy, I caught my breath and rolled out of the way with inches to spare, our enemy chomping down on a mouthful of dry, rocky powder. The pain temporarily vanished, replaced by numbness and an uncontrollably racing heart, thumping erratically in my ears as I tried to grasp what I was supposed to do next. The idea that came to mind was crazy, stupid and reckless, but I didn't really have a choice. It would have to work.

I reached out, gripping the scabby nose of the dog and swinging under its chin, stabbing and slashing wildly at what I thought was the chest and neck, claws dragging through matted fur. Most were misses, but I never slowed down. My resolve was boundless, a desperate last-ditch attempt at survival. It was all instinct, eerily natural and effortless. Predator versus prey, the eternal struggle taking place every minute, every hour, anywhere you cared to look.

Chase gasped. "What are you doing? That's insane! You're gonna-" The dog bellowed with rage, blocking out whatever he'd been saying. I caught a glimpse of orange fur and smiled slyly as I pulled my knife away, a flash of red blurring amongst waves of darkness.

The final moments were exceedingly fast and agonizingly slow, impossible and undeniable. Beyond the level of what most will experience in a lifetime, which is probably for the best. Trust me when I say you wouldn't want to with a price that high.

The dog sank to the ground before collapsing in a lifeless heap, pastel sand clinging to its body and practically glowing under translucent beams of moonlight. It was an eerie sight no matter how you looked at it, but also beyond welcome. The fight had ended.

I slid away from it, shaking so hard I was practically vibrating. Breaths came short and ragged, my eyes going damp from shock. I could barely support the weight of my knife without dropping it, but I flung my arm up and shouted, my own voice brittle almost unrecognizable amongst crashing waves and distant speedboats.

_I'd done it._ I actually killed a dog. For real. All those years of training, loneliness and never sleeping had lead me here, to my first success. Euphoria flooded my entire body and rushed through my veins, but the high was fleeting at best.

"That one was for you, Blake," I whispered softly, wiping away a tear as I watched the night sky with a heavy heart, "I hope you were watching. Did we make you proud, kid?"

Waves and rustling leaves filled the silence where my best friend's answer should've been, emptiness returning as I watched tiny galaxies above sparkle and glow in the blackness, delicate trails of mulitcolored dust that were unreachable and beautiful. You couldn't deny their existence, and yet it was impossible to ever touch or hold one. So similar to memories, changing and melding over time, but always magical and always loved.

Chase gently wrapped his arms around me from behind, his reflective eyes misty. I cherished the warmth as we stood there for a few minutes, letting the victory, nostalgia and sadness wash over us, losing itself in the constellation of a friendship long lost and forever missed.

"Listen raccoon, if he could be giving ya a thumbs up right now, believe me when I say he would. We did good, real good. Maybe even saved someone's life."

I smiled sadly, sheathing my knife before shaking my head and stepping away from the fox. It was all over now, the dog was dead. We did what we'd set up to do, maybe even better. I had to get back, the others would be wondering what had happened and the last thing I wanted was for them to come out looking for me. This obviously wasn't a safe zone at all, and I'd know to be a lot more careful during the remainder of my so-called mission.

"I-I have to leave," I stuttered, still in shock from everything I'd just witnessed.

Chase shrugged, grabbing my hand. "C'mon, I'll walk ya back to wherever you're staying."

I took him up on his offer and we kept a brisk pace, not daring to look back at where the dog must've been laying, casting shadows amongst prickly dune grass and glossy pebbles. Dead, just like my very bestest of friends. It had deserved everything it got.

Killing a dog had been what I wanted most, and yet the only emotion I could feel seemed unimportant, just a hint of pride that was slowly inching towards indifference. Completing a major part of my life goal sure hadn't been satisfying. In fact, it left me empty and questioning if maybe I'd been after the wrong thing all along, because when I pictured what I wanted most, it had nothing to do with ferals...

Following the faint glow of headlights, it didn't take us long to reach the cheerful little shack. Unfortunately by then I was pretty much ready to pass out. No matter how hard I tried, my legs refused to cooperate and I stumbled forward awkwardly, closing my eyes as I attempted to stand without slumping over. Fighting for your life sure takes up a lot of freakin' energy. At least the injuries were minor.

My balance only got worse as we kept going, and it wasn't long before I started to fall. Thankfully Chase had been there to catch me before I ruined the remaining sandcastles, so at least I'd avoid Tiger's fate. I leaned on him softly, resting my heavy head against his shoulder and blissfully ignoring the fact he could barely stay upright himself and that he was more enemy than friend.

"Jade, where have you been? You ran off and we've been looking everywhere for you!"

Verne's voice cut through my exhaustion and I practically jumped upright, still leaning on the fox beside me for support.

"We killed a feral dog." I said plainly, feeling a sudden burst of self-consciousness at the fact I most likely looked dead myself.

The turtle appeared truly shocked, which wasn't all that surprising of a reaction considering the situation. It took me a second to realize he wasn't alone, and that there were five other sets of widened eyes fixed curiously on the two of us. I'd been so out of it after everything I hadn't stopped to consider the consequences of showing up arm-in-arm with Chase at midnight after disappearing without so much as a word.

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**Author's Note: **_Hopefully that didn't suck epically, and I'll leave you with a mini-cliffhanger to keep y'all entertained until next time. Once again thanks for reading, and don't forget to fave, follow and review if you enjoy :) See you at the next update, Nyxy_


	17. Say Goodbye to City Lights

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

**Author's Note:** Been a while, huh? I apologize for the extended wait, but unfortunately things aren't going so great in my real life, which means I can't spend as much time writing. I have not abandoned this, not even close! I'll keep updating as often as I can, so don't worry. Since the last chapter was so dark, I've tried to make this one a bit more funny and upbeat. I know the quality's dropped, but like I said, I can't make writing my priority right now.

Hope you enjoy :) As always, reviews are hugely appreciated and make my day, but just that fact you guys are reading is awesome! Thanks for the follows as well, you awesome possums! Happy June, y'all ;) ❤️Nyxy❤️

**Review Replies:**

**xXzombisteffiXx:** Why did I have a feeling you'd hate him more? xD Chase is probably traumatized by now with all the hate he gets lol. Yep, she sure did! It was pretty awesome, I'll admit. You're welcome and THANK YOU! I'd be incredibly flattered if you did that, but don't feel obligated :) since I already know what you're planning on writing, I can say for sure it'll be amazing :D but no, I don't think I'm gonna kill Chase. Sorry, y'all :P

**Guest115: **Aww thanks, I'm glad you liked it :) The action scenes are pretty fun to write, but balance is key! That made me smile, and I'll try my best to keep things going.

**22FlippySues: **Yep, you have officially written Brand New Eyes' longest ever review! Congrats xD Seriously though, I don't think I've ever been more flattered in my life. I'm very self-conscious of my writing and often wonder if it's worth posting. You, and every other amazing reviewer who's dropped by, have made me push on and continue to improve. I'm so glad you love Jade, she seems to be a big hit all around, which is pretty awesome :) I can't reply to everything so said since your post was so long, but a huge thank you from me! Also the fact you said my work was "in the higher end of the top five fanfics in this fandom" and "one of the last great OTH stories" has literally floored me. I can't even, that's amazing! I will keep fighting, and hopefully you'll keep reading xD

**Fun Fact: **I know I've been failing at the whole fanfic thing, but at least I've got the whole ending figured out now! Also, the abandoned hospital is a hint at the potential sequel, but don't get too excited, I'm not even sure it's happening yet... But knowing me, it probably will... Eventually :P

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Say Goodbye to City Lights (Chapter 17)

_Heather_

Standing underneath Westfield's very last apartment building, I couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit disappointed, as weird as that might sound. Sure, leaving the feral dogs, crazy humans and superhighways behind was a good thing, but at the same time, I was about to walk away from the adventure of a lifetime. I knew the future held many awesome things, but I doubted they'd be anywhere near as exhilarating, death-defying or just plain crazy as what we'd experienced in the city.

Dew sparkled on the windshields of empty cars, tiny crystalline circles reflecting off the building's concrete wall. A few pigeons flew past, their feathered outlines soft against the morning air. I was still half asleep, but that was probably thanks to Jade's late night screaming fit. According to Stella, she'd shown up arm-in-arm with Chase after vanishing without a word, which had apparently caused problems.

Turns out nothing had happened and they'd actually been fighting a dog, but that didn't stop the situation from devolving into one of Jade's classic insult-yelling, door-slamming freak-outs. Chase must've seen it coming, because he was gone in a flash, stuttering out some lame excuse about his friend. Afterwards, she proceeded to call RJ every inappropriate phrase in the book, plus three I'd never even heard before.

Obviously that wasn't a big hit, and Verne had made it clear that if she didn't apologize, she'd have to leave. With a maturity level that would've embarrassed the porcupine kids, she muttered a very pouty "sorry" before skulking away, tripping and falling asleep in a nearby paddle-boat. I probably would've laughed if her antics hadn't kept everyone awake for half the night. And they say _teenagers_ are too emotional.

We stood admiring the sunrise-tinted apartment in awkward silence, and while I wanted to say something, I wasn't exactly sure what. Luckily, Hammy spared me the trouble.

"It's so tall!" he exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder.

Jade, who hadn't said anything since last night, finally spoke up, and it was obvious even she had a soft spot for the hyperactive squirrel.

"Second highest in the city. Behind it you can see part of the old hospital, though most of it's hidden in the forest. Place is completely abandoned now, and freakin' creepy. After that, no more buildings. Say goodbye to city lights."

Hammy clapped his hands excitedly, obviously thrilled to be leaving the dangerous, seemingly endless city behind. It made perfect sense, and honestly, I was starting to feel the same way. Living on the edge had been fun, but I was just about ready to move on. After all, the only part that'd actually been any fun was the hotel, which was like a hundred miles away by now. Besides, I was getting pretty used to change these days.

I took a quick look at the empty hospital as we were walking away, and couldn't help but shiver. It had to be the creepiest building I'd ever seen, and that was saying something considering we'd probably stayed in half Westfield's abandoned hideouts last week.

Quivering trees obscured most of the massive structure, its crumbling, graffiti stained walls resembling something out of a nightmare. Loops of barbed wire and rusty fencing made it difficult to see inside, but I could've sworn someone waved at me from behind peeling, faded wallpaper and cloudy shards of glass. My breath caught in my throat, and I quickly caught up with my dad and grabbed his hand, never straying more than a few feet from the group. Normally I was brave, but haunted hospitals were just too much. I'd seen enough horror movies to know what came next, and it was never pretty. Not to mention someone almost always got in trouble for letting us watch those things, which was so not worth it.

I half-followed the conversation between Stella, Verne and my dad, though it was pretty boring. Something to do with food supplies and safety. _Lame._ Hammy and the kids were running ahead as usual, and for the first time since we'd left, there was almost no worry of anyone being seen by humans. I could hear them giggling and carrying on, which made me smile. I'd missed being carefree like that, when the worst thing possible was a scraped knee, or not making it to dinner in time.

With the hospital out of sight, it was peaceful and aside from the laughter, enjoyably quiet. A breeze made the meadow-like grass drift slightly, colorful butterflies darting past and landing on tiny, sweet-smelling flowers. The sun was warm, covered only occasionally by a clump of thin, fluffy clouds.

"So we're really outside of Westfield?" Verne asked, looking over his shoulder at the now-distant cityscape.

"Obviously," Jade replied, and though she tried to look bored, her eyes were fixed upon the nearby forest in awe, taking in every detail of the twisted branches, dappled sunlight and swaying leaves.

"If you care about official boundaries, then we're a few miles away. Otherwise, yeah, we've left the city. Farthest away from it I've ever been, too."

Verne nodded thoughtfully, but his response was cut off.

RJ smirked. "You sure don't travel a lot, do you Jaded Lady?"

"Shut up idio-, I mean, RJ!" Jade demanded, awkwardly changing the last word after Verne's warning glance.

He shrugged. "Whatever you say, Jadey. Somehow I don't think you mean it."

"Oh I meant it," she snapped, folding her arms across her chest stubbornly. "You know I could leave this minute, right?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her, surprised by what she'd said. So far, the occasionally annoying and incredibly sarcastic raccoon had kept her promise, and even though most of us hadn't known her long, it seemed almost strange to think she'd be gone for good in a couple of days. I actually hoped she'd come back and visit sometime.

"But what about the feral dogs? Surely you don't expect us to face such savage beasts on our own!" My dad gaped, staring in horror. I rolled my eyes almost instinctively. Did he always have to be so_ totally dramatic?_

"I may have underestimated them before, but feral dogs never leave the city. Technically you're all safe, but just in case, I'll stick around until we reach the campground. After that, it's back to lovely Westfield for me." Sarcasm dripped from her voice at the last park, but she looked sincere about returning.

Expressions ranged from relieved to indifferent, though RJ slumped a little and looked truly disappointed. Sad, even.

"Come on, you gotta stay for at least a couple of days. It'll be fun and you know it!" His voice was enthusiastic, but he was watching Jade worriedly.

"Fine," she sighed, "not for long, though. As much as I hate it, I have a life back there and I can't just throw everything away."

"I knew it!" RJ exclaimed, grinning and throwing his arm around Jade's back. She looked annoyed, but made no attempt to escape. "You never were very good at hiding that soft spot, Jaded Lady."

"The hiding's fine. It's just that you know how to exploit_ every single one _of my weaknesses." She slapped him playfully on the shoulder and he jumped away, causing both of them to laugh.

"Hey, can't hate me for that!"

Jade crossed her arms once again, glaring with fake rage at the other raccoon. "I do, idiot!" This time however, there was no anger to be found in her words. It seemed all of last night's craziness had been forgotten, and I liked it that way.

It wasn't long until we reached the edge of the forest, long, yellowed grass giving way to towering trees and patches of delicate woodland flowers. Bunches of rustling leaves overhead blocked out most of the sunlight, though it was still comfortably warm hidden amongst the branches.

Catching sight of a nearby flower, I stepped carefully off the overgrown trail and plucked it, soft pink petals cool against my fingertips. Smiling, I twisted the wiry stem and tucked it behind my ear absentmindedly, hoping it would stay. After spending a whole week wandering the concrete jungle, I'd almost forgotten how beautiful nature could be.

We kept walking for what felt like a few hours before stopping to have a snack and rest. Since the adults were busy setting out food and doing whatever adults did, I decided to sneak off and explore. While the interesting parts of the forest weren't as obvious as they had been in the city, I still managed to have plenty of fun. After climbing a tree, I met up with the kids and we played with their plastic superhero figures in the mud, defeating at least two massive armies of leaf and twig people.

For the most part we managed to avoid getting messy, but luckily there was a small pond nearby to wash off the toys, who hadn't faired quite so well and were now nearly impossible to identify, let alone tell apart. Afterwards we passed the time by throwing dusty old rocks in the water and sharing bad jokes, many of which made me giggle like a kid myself. Before I knew it, it was time to pack up the still-damp figurines and grab lunch. I could hear Penny calling in the distance, though most of what she said was drowned out by cicadas buzzing noisily overhead.

"Be there in a minute!" I answered, hoping she could hear me and wouldn't get worried or something.

The kids looked glum once they realized our little adventure was over, dragging their action figures on the ground behind them and undoing all my hard work. Even though they were supposed to be washable, those things were surprisingly difficult to clean!

I slowed down a bit as we got closer to the rest of the family, our stash of brightly-colored food and supplies quickly becoming visible through the scruffy patches of brush. The kids hadn't perked up yet, but like I said, they were still a thousand times more mature than Jade had been last night. Go figure.

"Hey guys, don't be sad," I enthused, trying to cheer them up, "I'll help you build an awesome fort tomorrow morning! It'll be like, totally cool and stuff!"

They nodded happily before running to grab their choice of snacks, loudly tearing apart colorful, glossy packages and arguing over who got what. I smiled, reaching for the flower still safely balanced exactly where I'd put it.

As we talked and ate, I thought about how similar today had been to our old life back home. Picking flowers, climbing trees, running through a forest and playing with the kids. It was almost like nothing changed except the scenery, which made me hopeful about the whole campground thing. Maybe it'd be _almost _as good as what we'd left behind.

So far I hadn't missed the city at all, and as I leaned comfortably against the scratchy bark of an old tree, wondered why I ever thought I would. Don't get me wrong, I really was glad I'd experienced some of it, but I sure as heck wasn't up for any repeats. The past was best left in the past now.

The rest of the day went by quickly, and in no time the few patches of visible sky had turned from bright blue to soft and dusky, trees casting familiar shadows over our path. A few crickets chirped somewhere off in the distance, and though most of the sunlight was gone, it still felt pleasantly warm. No streetlights or flashy vehicles disrupted the falling darkness, and for the first time in a while, I felt comfortable and completely safe being out at night. No dogs to worry about, or strange, distorted city sounds to wake me up at some ridiculously early hour and leave me questioning what exactly I'd just witnessed.

After a quick debate, we ended up picking a huge, completely hollow tree to sleep in. It would stay warm overnight when the temperature dropped, and inside a big, fluffy pile of leaves would be both safe and cozy. There was also a sturdy branch for us possums, which made me pretty darn happy after all the concrete floors I'd had to endure recently. Talk about uncomfortable!

Of course it wasn't bedtime yet, and we still had a few hours to relax and enjoy ourselves. Jade set up a small fire, the warm, shivering orange light casting flickering shadows on all the trees and animals nearby. She then began sharpening the ends of a few fairly clean sticks, her reflective silver knife moving swiftly as she worked. Tiny curls of bark landed gently on the ground, skittering away silently whenever there was a breeze.

Verne however, was not impressed by her handiwork. "Are those _spears?_" He asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Nah," Jade replied, a youthful grin lighting up her weathered features, "they're marshmallow roasting sticks. I'm not planning to sacrifice RJ tonight, so calm down."

RJ, who'd been watching the whole thing, laughed. "Why would you need to spear me when you've already got me?"

He caught her eye, but she looked away and kept her attention on carving, staring a little _too_ intently at her blade and the falling bark.

"Ha-ha, as if!" She replied cynically, tossing one of the newly-sharpened sticks to Hammy and grabbing a different, slightly smaller piece to work on.

I got the next one, and wasted no time grabbing a marshmallow of my own. Eagerly, I held it over the flame and waited, watching its soft, fluffy whiteness slowly turn a golden brown. Hammy was doing the same, though his was quickly morphing into a flaming chunk of sugary inferno.

It didn't take long for my whole family to get their hands on a roasting stick and join in, laughter and sugar quickly making the rounds and lighting up the already bright circle. Verne once again glanced skeptically at the collection of pointed objects, but reluctantly took one and joined in, still handling it somewhat cautiously.

Soon everyone was giggling and occasionally burning marshmallows, smoke curling translucently through silent, swaying treetops. I wasn't quite sure who started the scary stories, but I think it must have been Tiger, as weird as that might sound. It wasn't long until Penny, Lou, Verne and my dad were turning their heads at every sound or gentle breeze, despite the fact they were all either leaves moving or birds nestled in branches above.

Stella, Jade and RJ were the only ones still standing around nonchalantly, snickering quietly when someone else got scared and encouraging whoever was telling the tale to make it creepier. Jade's ended up being way too realistic, which earned her a bunch of dirty looks. She didn't seem to care much, but toned it down a bit afterwards and skipped her next turn willingly.

Half the marshmallows were already gone, though the kids smushing them together and tossing the resulting mess in the fire to watch their sugary blob explode might have been a big part of it. Hammy was also to blame, since he didn't seem to understand you were only supposed to roast one at a time and constantly shoved handfuls of marshmallows on the end of his somewhat-blackened roasting stick, eating them all without question. Honestly, it was far more entertaining than the ghost stories.

Even as the night wore on we continued to have a good time, all the bad stuff temporarily forgotten. If this was a taste of campground life, I was already looking forward to it. The worries and stress would be gone, leaving behind nothing but fun times and memories. I'd never forget our journey, but this was certainly an awesome way to end it. The summer stretched out before me, full of hot, lazy days and breathless, wild adventures with my family. It was good. Really, truly good. At least for now, everything was going right and I couldn't wait to see what came next.

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**Author's Note:**_ I am so, so sorry for the incredibly long wait. I know I'm a terrible writer, keeping y'all wondering. Hopefully you liked it, and though it wasn't very well-written, I'm still fairly proud of myself for actually posting. Thanks for reading :)_


	18. Tell Me It's Okay

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

**Author's Note: **_Wow, it's been forever! I'm so, so, so sorry guys! Really, I suck. I'm back though, and this time I PROMISE to update at least once every two weeks. I got a little bored of this story for a while, but I'm interested again and itching to write, thankfully! So here's to updates and finally finishing this story! I know it's not the greatest, don't hate me! On another note, once it's done I'll be doing a massive re-write because seriously, those first chapters are shameful lol. Thanks for reading :)_

Huge shout out to my incredibly loyal readers! Y'all rock, you awesome possums. Also thanks a ton to everyone who has faved, followed and reviewed BNE recently, you know who you are, and I love you all! ❤️Nyxy❤️

**Review Replies:**

**xXzombisteffiXx: **Aww thanks again, Steffi. Not sure about the whole sequel deal, but I'll try! Glad you liked the chapter, I appreciate all your awesome support!

**Da-Tenshi Setsuna: **A new reviewer? AMAZING! Thank you so much for the support and kind messages. It makes me very happy to see people enjoying my writing, I'm honestly grateful :)

**Fun Fact: **The title of this chapter is taken from a Paramore song which sums up Jade's entire experience so well it's almost scary. If you like that kind of music you should check it out, I've had it on repeat for a while now lol. Also yes, I really have returned for real this time! More updates ahead!

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Tell Me It's Okay (Chapter 18)

_Jade_

Even though I'd been hoping to catch a glimpse of the old sign with its strangely familiar neon tent from the beginning, the situation was still more than a little bittersweet. Like it or not, there was no turning back now. We'd finally reached the campground.

It was still fairly distant, soft breezes and hazy summer heat causing the colors to appear even more garish amongst pale blue sky and swaying trees. Gravel crunched as we walked, halfway between overgrown grass and cracked, sun-bleached pavement. Conversation was flowing freely, blending with buzzing cicadas and the distant sound of waves. There was a playful, almost innocent feel to the area, which made it far harder for me to maintain my usual negative attitude.

Heather, who'd been running ahead with Hammy and the kids, stopped and pointed to the sign.

"So, over there's the campground, right?"

Her eyes were practically glowing with anticipation. I smiled, nodding.

"That's the entrance. Place owns most of the forest you can see, too. Can't be sure, but I think you'll like it."

Scratch that, I _knew_ they'd love it. The park was well known around Westfield for being beautiful, and best of all, incredibly safe. Hunting was outlawed, the humans that gathered there were as harmless as humans could possibly be, and there wasn't a feral dog within thirty miles. I couldn't have done better myself, as hard as that was to admit at times.

As we got closer to the brightly painted gateway, I noticed an increase in the number of tiny, family-run camp stores and slightly battered, boat-and-trailer towing vehicles. Kids were shouting and spilling ice cream as they attempted to catch a particularly fast butterfly, their parents laughing. The joy was infectious, but I didn't let my guard down. Westfield's smog-coated skyline had long since vanished from my sight, yet I couldn't shake the nagging feeling of something not being right.

I sighed, instinctively fussing with my knife. It was still attached to the leather strap as I wasn't worried about quick access anymore, but old habits die hard.

I'd been staring at the ground when RJ grabbed my hand, causing me to jump a little in surprise. He squeezed it encouragingly and I started to calm down again, feeling slightly humiliated by my instinctive city-dweller reaction.

"Relax, Jaded Lady. You don't need that here."

I rolled my eyes.

"Probably not. But there's a slight chance someone as idiotic as you might get themselves killed, which would kinda ruin my good deed. I'll take my chances with paranoia, thanks."

RJ grinned. "Ah, so that's why you're acting all protective. I thought it was because you loved me."

He was laughing, but I just stood there with a confused expression on my face. That was a pretty stupid joke, even for him.

"Uh, no! I'm doing this to keep a promise I made my best friend, and..." I paused for dramatic effect, making sure everyone could hear me, "...because as much as I try to hide it, I really do have a heart."

The others smiled and were obviously amused, though I was sure by now they'd figured out I wasn't nearly as emotionless or harsh as the no-nonsense-tough-girl-from-Westfield persona let on.

"_I_ knew you had a heart!" Hammy blurted, causing everyone to giggle loudly.

The happiness lasted long after their hilariously loveable antics died down, and I couldn't help but feel there was still a bit of good left in life, something actually worth fighting for.

Admittedly, it was hard to keep walking, knowing just how close we were getting to the destination. I should've been happy, or at least relieved. We'd made it safely with nothing more than a few scratches to show, something I'd considered pretty much impossible at the beginning of this crazy journey. For the first time in my life, I'd actually done the right thing, and it was surprisingly rewarding.

I would've found it incredibly easy to hide my true feelings and just say I was proud, and truthfully, I _was_ proud. Leading a naive family through downtown Westfield wasn't an easy feat, especially when one of them was a teenage crush I'd never really gotten over, but I'd kept my promise and patched things up. Cue a perfect, happy ending.

Real life never cleans up that pretty though, and if I was being truly honest with myself, returning to Westfield and feral dog hunting held absolutely no appeal. Fighting dogs was a part of city life, but the level of dedication I'd taken it to was just a ridiculous and particularly self-destructive way of hiding my emotions.

Instead of grieving properly, I'd turned my pain into a blind rage, convinced revenge would repair the damage and numb my ever-present guilt. Of course it mostly backfired, and even when it didn't, the past week had taught me saving a life was a thousand times more worthwhile than ending one. If only I'd figured it out sooner, back when I still had even the slightest chance of changing things.

We kept moving, and in no time Heather was photographing the hand-painted and oddly decorative entrance, every member of the family staring in awe and smiling at their new home as they patiently waited for the camera to focus.

I was standing awkwardly behind them when RJ and the aforementioned possum decided I was somehow missing out on an opportunity and practically dragged me toward the group. I nearly fell over twice, but they were determined and wouldn't take no for an answer. Somehow I ended up right in the middle, squished in next to Stella and Heather's dad. At least the porcupines were off to the side and safely out of poking range.

"You guys should like, do a pose or something!" Heather called enthusiastically, scrambling to squeeze between her dad and Hammy before the snap was taken. RJ pulled me in close and put his arm around my shoulders, and I cautiously placed a hand on his chest. No one had taken my picture since Happyland, and the whole thing felt more than a little strange, not to mention embarrassing.

"Isn't this supposed to be a picture of your family?" I asked, careful not to disrupt the admittedly cliche pose and ruin Heather's photo.

"Sure is," he answered, and before any of it had a chance to sink in, the flash went off, capturing our first moments at the campground forever. I felt completely out of place, and hoped it didn't show and end up wrecking everything somehow.

Heather snatched the camera off its makeshift stand of junk food boxes, proudly showing off her picture to anyone that would look. Hammy and the kids got there first, the latter arguing over who had the best view. They all ended up agreeing on how well it turned out though, and you could tell she was absolutely thrilled.

When I finally got a peek at the screen, I found myself nodding in unspoken appreciation. Sure, my eyes were still too big and my fur was a mess, but there was no denying how much more _alive _I appeared. The surly, half-dead girl whose distorted image I'd glimpsed all those days ago in the abandoned mirror had vanished, replaced by someone who, for all intents and purposes, looked like she _belonged._

With the picture stored safely, we slowly entered the park. Right away I noticed how different it was from the city, and how home-like the area felt despite being completely foreign to me. Cars crept along narrow, winding dirt paths, disappearing behind a dense curtain of trees and summer foliage. The air was fresh, overhead leaves rustling with every breeze. We followed one of the trails past a cabin-like building and parking lot, eventually reaching a narrower path which broke off into rows of campsites.

Most seemed to be empty, though a few were occupied by tents and trailers of various colors and sizes. Some were huge, luxurious and pretty much defeated the purpose of camping, while others were so tiny I had a hard time believing humans could even fit inside. There was a strange beauty to all of it, and I actually smiled a little.

By now everyone was practically dying to run off and explore, but Verne decided it'd be a good idea to store the supplies first, and I couldn't really argue with that logic. Since we couldn't just ditch them anywhere, our next job was to find somewhere both accessible and fairly well-hidden. At least half the campsites were either occupied, too close together or not nearly private enough, but thankfully after about an hour of searching we found one that was about as close to perfect as you could get.

The area was beautiful and almost impossible to see from the dirt road which was a big advantage, as well as being overgrown and fairly plain. Humans would easily overlook it and drive by, especially since there were tons of well-kept and equally secluded spots available. As an added bonus, there was a small creek only minutes away with with sparkling, clear water.

I ended up helping the others unpack, stashing treats and mementos safely inside a small and sun-faded fallen log. It wasn't nearly as impressive as the one Heather had lovingly described while reminiscing her old home, but it was still roomy enough to store everything and then some.

The rest of the day was spent exploring, and I had to admit that forests were both beautiful and impressive places. It was going perfectly, everyone practically bouncing with joy and seemingly boundless energy. Stella and Tiger made a date of hiking through the small evergreen patch, RJ raided at least ten campsites with a little help from me and everyone else, while Verne traded in the old, heavily worn map with a relieved expression, replacing it casually by picking up the shiny, brand new park guide and flipping through it.

We returned to the campsite with arms full of snacks and the new map, laughing and joking while Hammy ran off and somehow managed to find another acorn tree. Between us, it didn't take long to fill most of the remaining storage space.

Afterwards, the porcupines played what had to be one of the longest and most difficult games of hide-and-seek I've ever witnessed, while Heather attempted to teach her dad the basics of photography, which turned out to be a losing battle.

"No dad, that's the off button. You hit this one to zoom, and then the big one to take a picture," she explained, sounding slightly bored.

Her dad stared at the device, confused.

"But the combinations are so complex! How was I supposed to know?"

She sighed in frustration after demonstrating for the hundredth time, and I tried to hide my laughter.

Evening fell quickly, as it tends to do when you're having fun for the first time in three years. While most of the glowing sunset was camouflaged by a tangle of silvery leaves and branches, it was still possible to see how stunning the colors were. Fireflies darted amongst the brush, their flickering lights replacing the usual twilight stars that were now hidden by trees and twisting tendrils of campfire smoke. A few clouds had rolled in, the wind picking up rapidly and blowing stuff everywhere as we desperately scrambled to catch it.

"There goes the water!" Stella yelled as it toppled over, splashing beneath the somewhat decrepit picnic table.

I picked up the container, carefully wiping away a smudge of campfire ash.

"I'll get more," I offered, watching the kids shout as they jumped and tried to catch some of the papery leaves blowing by. I didn't feel right interrupting their fun, and walking for five minutes was the least I could do.

Verne nodded. "Thanks, Jade. You know where the creek is, right?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it."

I shrugged, slinging the empty plastic container over my shoulder and slipping quietly into the woods. A few twigs snapped, but luckily this wasn't a stealth operation and I didn't have to worry. Looking back, I saw RJ asking everyone something with sparkling eyes and a nervous smile. Their expressions were all pretty serious, and a big, suspicious part of me wanted to turn around and investigate, but I decided it wasn't worth the effort. Whatever they were discussing probably had nothing to do with me anyway.

The walk was a short one, and in no time I reached the muddy and fairly steep creekbed. A few moss-coated rocks stuck out from the bank, but I managed to climb down without too much effort. Clear water flowed gently, with only the occasional leaf or twig disrupting its reflective surface. I lightly dipped the container underneath, wincing a little at the cold. A water bug took off loudly as I retrieved the now-full container with a splash, sighing at how heavy it was.

Drying my hands as best I could, I balanced the overflowing container and dragged it back up, grateful to have avoided slipping on the damp, plant-covered ground. I had just reached the top when I heard another snapping sound. Could someone have been watching me?

Unfortunately I'd been distracted trying to pull the water over a particularly stubborn branch, and because of that, hadn't had a chance to check out the strange noise. By the time I did, it was too late. Whirling around, I came face to face with another, albeit familiar, raccoon. Needless to say, the water fell out of my hand from surprise. In a particularly cruel twist of fate, I was the only one who's fur got soaked.

"Need a little help there, Jaded Lady?" RJ asked, staring at the mess. From the looks of it, he was amused. I wanted to punch him!

I gritted my teeth. "What do you think, idiot?"

Turning away from him, I picked up the container and got ready to refill it for the second time.

"Wait, Jade. I need to tell you something."

Rolling my eyes, I turned around, my anger already evaporating. Why was it so hard to stay mad at this loser?

"What is it, RJ?"

His tone was more serious than before, and I was a little concerned. The other raccoon hesitated for a second, blue eyes focused intently on something in the distance. I waited for what seemed like hours, feeling my heart speed up at the though of everything that could've gone wrong. Was the campground not as safe as I'd originally thought?

Finally, he broke the silence.

"Look, what I'm about to ask might seem crazy, and you'll probably say no-"

His voice was smooth, but there was more than a hint of edge hidden underneath. I interrupted him, not wanting to waste another minute. If something was wrong, I wanted a chance to fix it as best I could before leaving.

"Stop with the fancy talk. You know nothing shocks me anymore." Blunt, but honest.

"Okay, well... When you were out getting water, I asked everyone what they thought of you-"

My breath caught in my throat and I froze. City life had a way of making you grow a thick skin, but this rejection was gonna sting. I braced myself as best I could, not daring to hope that what I heard might turn out to be the opposite of what I'd been fearing.

I cut him off again. "And they all want me gone. Can't blame 'em, either."

He laughed. "Nope, you're wrong there Jaded Lady. Me and Verne asked them, and everyone said they see you as family."

My jaw practically dropped. It had to be some sort of joke, because this was way too good to be true.

"Glad I fit the role of lonely old Aunt Gertrude that well," I replied sarcastically.

"What? No! They all consider you family. _I_ see you as something way more, Jadey."

He grinned, and as always, my stupid heart started fluttering uncontrollably. Once the words actually started to sink in, I couldn't help but be amazed.

"Seriously? I don't know what to say... I haven't had anything like that since Hapyland, and..." I trailed off, still a bit dazed from what I'd just learned.

"I know. And I can't promise you it'll be like that again. I mean, you and Blake were really close, and those were some good times," he laughed, "but I gotta try. So Jade, do you wanna stay with us? _With me?_

At that exact moment, I realized what I'd been secretly wishing for the entire journey had finally come true. After all the growing up I'd done in the last week, realization had struck that a life of fighting and bitterness wasn't for me. I'd been clinging to that false idea for years, and at last it was time to let go and move on. Besides, I knew this choice would honor Blake far more than any number of dead dogs ever could. He'd loved friendship, not war.

"I was trying to find some snarky, insulting way of saying this, but it's not worth the time. So yeah, count me in. Can't promise forever right now, but I'm working on it."

As soon as I replied, I found myself dropping the now unimportant water container and leaping into his arms with the biggest smile I'd ever had the joy of wearing. We embraced silently for at least a minute, and after losing myself in the moment, I knew this was what I had wanted all along. _To be loved and have a family of my own._

I could almost hear the old, bitter Westfield version of Jade screaming at me to run for my life, that commitment was would ruin me, but I brushed her away like a particularly annoying insect. To be honest, I pitied that girl, so alone and lost in her hatred. If only she could've seen everything the future held on those cold, empty nights she'd come so dangerously close to giving in.

"Guess we better go tell the others, huh?" RJ said happily, finally letting go of me.

I nodded, my eyes wide with appreciation.

"Hopefully they're not disappointed," I quipped, retaining a dash of my old sarcasm.

After refilling the container one last time, I grabbed his hand as we headed back towards my very first real home. It was still hard to believe, but I was looking forward to life here becoming so normal that it almost felt like second nature.

"Are you kidding? They'll be thrilled!"

He'd been right. As we got closer to the campsite, I could hear hushed voices debating everything from the outcome of what had just happened, to how many times I'd called RJ an idiot. Despite that, they all seemed genuinely hopeful I would decide to stick around. It was very flattering, to say the least.

Once they heard us approaching, the voices fell silent. I ran forward breathlessly, no longer able to contain my excitement as I crashed through fallen branches and shrubs. RJ followed, and I could've sworn the second we came into view, everyone's gaze was fixed directly on me, awaiting an explanation. For once, I didn't mind the staring.

"Well?" Verne asked cautiously, trying to gauge our expressions.

I giggled like a kid, no longer caring if it looked stupid. "I'm staying right here."

Cheers broke out, and it wasn't long until I found myself in the center of an amazing group hug. I hugged back, remembering every detail and sensation that this new life had been kind enough to give me so far.

"I told you she had a heart!" Hammy exclaimed much to everyone's amusement, and I guess he was right.

Heather handed me a printed copy of the picture she'd taken earlier, and I gratefully tucked it inside my leather pouch, right next to the slightly faded one of me and Blake.

"This like, totally calls for a celebration," she said gleefully, reaching for the camera once again.

And man, did we celebrate. All the most delicious snacks were passed around with joyful abandon, and I even managed to start another fire despite having used up most of the matches earlier.

Laughter and general chaos could be heard all night, carrying far off into the woods and even out over the lake. It was the very best kind of crazy, and had humans been making this much noise, someone probably would've called the park staff. Luckily, that threat didn't apply to us as we danced around the illuminated clearing that had somehow become our home. It was amazingly carefree, and for the first time in years, I knew it was okay to be happy_ right now._

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**Author's Note: **_So, that'a that I guess. I know I went heavy on the fluff factor, but I couldn't help it okay? I have feels too, you know! Anyway thanks so much for reading! After this chapter, there are only THREE left! Seriously, can you believe it? Hope you liked the ending of this chapter, and while I've already got most of it planned out, if there's a specific thing you wanna see in the sequel, let me know :) But if you really think the ending is gonna be this perfect and upbeat, you don't know me very well XD Once again, thanks ❤️_


	19. Ominous

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

**Author's Note: **_Ugh, I've been dying to posh this chapter for weeks! Why? I literally haven't had internet access for THAT LONG. My parents and I went backcountry camping, so obviously I couldn't even get texts, let alone publish this. I also wanted to wait out the view stats glitch so I could see how many of you awesome possums were reading, but that's selfish and they're fixed now anyway. _

_Sorry about that! Not to worry though! While I haven't been updating, I HAVE been writing. Technically, Brand New Eyes is already finished. I haven't gotten around to editing them yet, but I'll get them up soon for you guys :)_

_Shout out to all the awesome readers who've reviewed, followed and faved! Y'all rock! Hugs, Nyxy❤️_

**Review Replies:**

**Da-Tenshi Setsuna: **Thanks, I really liked writing it! I have feels too, y'all :)

**xXzombisteffiXx: **Oh Steffi, your reviews always make me laugh (in a good way, obviously :)) You already know why I've been gone, but I hope this chapter makes up for my sluggishness XD

**xXTigress1776Xx: **YAY YOURE BACK! I missed your reviews a ton, and am so happy you're still reading :) Don't worry, I totally understand. Real life issues suck, and they can get in the way no matter what. Aww, thanks, I'm so glad you like the way I write them! Best wishes, you awesome possum, and I hope this chapter and the following ones don't let you down :)

**Fun Fact: **There are only two chapters left, both of which are already written! It's almost over?! Now what? I'm actually a little sad it'll be ending so soon!

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Ominous (Chapter 19)

_Heather_

Time really does fly when you're having fun, because I could hardly believe we'd been at the campground for almost three weeks. Living amongst the swaying trees and colorful, ever-changing tents already felt natural, almost like we were somehow meant to be here all along.

While I did occasionally miss our old home, the memories were already changing from heart-wrenchingly bittersweet to innocent and nostalgic. Those days would always hold a special place in my heart, but the crazy and totally awesome adventures we'd just experienced were certainly helping to take the edge off.

I wasn't the only one loving it here, either. Between exploring the strange, glimmering depths of hidden caves, building hugely complex forts and hiking some of the less popular trails, I hadn't seen my family so happy since we'd set off on our journey all those days ago. There was a certain comfort knowing we'd left Westfield behind, and even Verne loosened up a little, which_ had _to be a good thing.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a twig snapping, and I looked over to see the porcupine kids engaged in an epic battle with stick-swords. One particularly flimsy and faded stick had snapped, but it was quickly tossed away and replaced with a new, sturdier weapon. The fight continued, laughter and hilariously bad action lines echoing through the narrow, overgrown pathway.

"Amatures," Jade muttered with a grin, sharpening her own reflective and deadly weapon.

Verne noticed what she was doing and eyed her cautiously. "I thought it was safe here," he asked suspiciously, "why do you need that?"

"In case RJ screws up. It_ is_ safe." The tiny raccoon laughed, dusting off her knife.

"Jade, how many times do I have to tell you not to say things like that?" He sounded mildly annoyed, and surprisingly, she slid her knife back inside its case without much of a fight. Not a necessary gesture, but she was obviously trying to change.

"Aw come on, does _everything_ have to be family friendly?" Her tone actually came off as somewhat disappointed.

The turtle sighed. "In a word, yes."

"Alright, alright," she sighed, and all seemed to be forgiven. Verne calmly went back to flipping through his park map, tapping on Lake Smallwater absentmindedly as he determined the best route.

"You'll understand when you have kids," Lou, who'd been listening to the whole conversation, shouted. He was chasing after his own, who were currently pelting Tiger with miniature pinecones and shoving each other off the path.

"No thanks, I've lived through enough disasters!" Jade called, glaring at the porcupine's suggestion. She took out her knife once again, this time to work on the item she'd been carving since last week, still mumbling about families and not being tied down.

I spent most of my time taking pictures of wildflowers, admiring their delicate petals and soft, almost translucent coloring. Last time we raided a campsite, I'd been able to snag one of those ridiculously huge memory cards, and since then I'd been working hard to fill it up. Flipping absentmindedly through the pictures, I came across vibrant butterflies, waves, some of the snapshots my dad had taken, and finally a few blurry, infinitely gray images of Westfield.

I wasn't exactly sure how, but the city managed to appear both withered and gloomy despite being confined to a tiny screen. I quickly clicked through the monotones until I reached an image of a comical seagull flying off into the sunset that I'd taken last week. I was pretty proud of that one.

Verne, who up until now had been reading the map, folded down the page and gestured for the others to listen.

"If we want to reach the point before dark, we should get going now," he said, turning towards the sun-dappled and lazily meandering trail.

"No hurry," RJ replied, and I saw that he was curled up with Jade, the two of them taking turns playing the kid's car racing game. Considering how frequently the sounds of crashing and missed points were repeated, the raccoons were far more interested in each other than beating any high scores.

As cute as they were together, I understood where Verne was coming from. While most of the park had become familiar in the last few weeks, we'd decided to explore one of the few sections still fairly unknown and exciting, mostly due to how far it was from our home base.

According to the park guide, our destination was a fairly remote spit of land jutting off into Lake Smallwater, promising both seclusion and an excellent view of Westfield. That wasn't exactly a perk when it came to beautiful scenery, but the place sounded pretty cool otherwise, and it was private enough we didn't have to worry about campers or curious humans discovering us.

After packing up our supplies and double checking the still-shiny map, we continued onwards. Hammy ran ahead, loudly pointing out anything that moved or caught his attention while birds twittered overhead, either uncaring or oblivious to the joyful chaos around them.

It didn't take all that long to reach our destination, and from the moment we arrived, I knew the entire trip had been worth it. Twisted pines gave way to an open field filled with swaying grass, tiny daisies and best of all, wild strawberries. Beyond the meadow-like area was Lake Smallwater, glistening in the afternoon sun, its gently rolling waves uninterrupted by apartments or noisy boats. A thin strip of sandy beach framed the campground's edge, but for once it was completely empty, without a tourist or child in sight. I found that a little strange, but didn't really stop to think about it.

On the other side of the water was Westfield, hazy and seemingly unchanged. Skyscrapers, hotels and glossy office buildings poked at the clouds, surrounded by a mess of urban sprawl that threatened to overtake anything in its way, no mater how beautiful or irreplaceable. I had to remind myself the campground was not only across the lake, but protected by some sort of human law as well.

Turning my back on the water, I picked a handful of daisies and began weaving them into the beginnings of a flower crown, humming quietly. Once it began to take shape, I watched everyone enjoying their day, laughter and lighthearted conversation filling the air.

"This is the life," Stella said contentedly, leaning back on a moss-covered rock as Tiger soaked up the sunlight beside her. Nearby, Hammy was collecting a fistful of somewhat battered flowers, practically running circles around my dad, who kept attempting to record everything at once while zooming in on random objects. RJ was showing off again, impressing the entire porcupine family, while Verne peacefully harvested berries around the edges of the field. Needless to say, everyone seemed to be having a good time. Everyone except Jade, that is.

The usually manic raccoon was standing silently by herself and staring into space, or more likely, right at the heart of Westfield. Early sunset had tinted the placid water a delicate pink, and for a moment I wished I hadn't set down the camera.

Jade fidgeted slightly as she continued to watch the artificially illuminated buildings, distant noises of city life just audible over Smallwater's quiet splashing. Her eyes were glassy, and she almost appeared fearful behind her usual front of determination. I wondered what she was thinking, and if some part of her wanted to go back to the dangerous world she'd spent her entire life fighting for.

Another five minutes passed, and I couldn't stand the silence any longer. Approaching the beach slowly, I sat down on a nearby mound of rocks and followed her steely gaze until I found what had to be downtown Westfield.

"Hey," I asked softly,"is something wrong?"

Jade smiled when she heard my question, but I couldn't ignore the fact that she was resting her hand on the hilt of her supposedly retired knife.

She sighed. "No, kid. At least, not here."

That didn't exactly answer my question. In fact, it only made me more curious.

"What do you mean?"

The raccoon looked conflicted, resting her face against the side of a rather slanted tree.

"What I'm saying is that something's not right. I mean, think about it. Aside from the campsites, no one's seen a human at all today. That ain't normal, especially when the weather's like this, but coming here confirmed my fears. Westfield's beach is empty, too."

Despite the warm temperatures, a chill ran through my fur. I hadn't been the only one who'd noticed. It'd been nice not having to worry about keeping ourselves hidden, but I should've known something was up.

"What's going on," I asked quietly, "and is it bad?"

Closing her eyes, Jade nodded. "If it's what I think it is, then yeah, it's pretty screwed up. I've seen this happen a couple of times before, and it always involves a couple of feral dogs attacking some helpless city kid. The humans go into hiding, and everything slows down for a few days until the reporters find something else to fixate on."

My eyes widened. "That's awful!"

"Yeah, but it's not our problem. Shouldn't have told you either, it's freakin' nasty and you don't need to know these things. We gotta find the others anyway," she said dismissively, getting up and walking away from the glowing lakefront.

It was obvious the conversation was over, and I nodded, following her. Up ahead I could see that everyone was getting ready to leave, Hammy now holding the flower crown I'd been working on and smiling cheerfully.

"Here," he said, handing it to me, "I saved this for you!"

"Thanks," I giggled, picking a few more of the soft, colorful daisies so I could finish it when we got back to our site. Beside me I could hear Jade and RJ, the former seeming to have perked up a bit after leaving the lakefront's sunset embrace.

"You're finally back! I thought you'd left me," RJ said, pretending to sound hurt.

Jade laughed. "Right. As much as I'd love to, I could never leave you." She grabbed his hand, and the two of them flirted playfully while Verne packed up the strawberries he'd picked, careful to make sure none were damaged.

My dad showed me the video he'd taken before we left, and I had to admit that despite the occasional zooming problem or lack of focus, the film had turned out pretty good. It was nice to watch everyone having such a good time, but I never got a chance to compliment his handiwork.

A distant howling sound broke through the relative peace, causing both animals and insects to fall silent. Two more answered it, and while they had definitely come from Westfield, it didn't make the haunting roughness any less terrifying.

"Was that a wolf, or..." Stella trailed off, glancing at Tiger, who looked even more confused than she did.

Jade shook her head, the all-too-familiar anger returning to her voice. "Dog. Feral dog."

"That's our cue," Verne said, retreating towards the looming pine forest. While its ancient and twisted trees were beautiful during the day, they'd taken on an almost monstrous form in the twilight's misty glow.

The others followed, Hammy nervously clutching his tail while the kids sandwiched themselves between Penny and Lou, too afraid to run ahead or fall behind. I stayed close to my dad, still gripping the delicate strands of my daisy headpiece as we disappeared amongst the shadowy brush.

Jade had taken up a defiant stance and remained behind, her eyes glinting with fury, as though on guard for a fight that would never arrive. RJ eventually convinced her to rejoin the others, and while at first she hadn't wanted to leave, she eventually followed him back to the forest.

"Sorry," she apologized, "it's hard to forget stuff like that."

"I bet _I_ can make you forget," RJ said mischievously, picking her up bridal style and kissing her dramatically.

Everyone turned to look, but there were no expressions of surprise, only those of minor annoyance at the delay or indifference. We'd all accepted them as a couple, and while they had more than their fair share of arguments, I'd never seen two raccoons more in love. Technically, I'd never seen _any_ raccoons in love before, but still.

Jade was somewhat embarrassed, but definitely happier. She certainly hadn't forgotten about the dogs, but she also didn't linger or remove her knife from its strap, which was a good sign considering how paranoid she was about encountering another feral.

The trip home was uneventful aside from Hammy asking if we were there yet every few minutes, which was practically welcome as his constant questions broke up the odd, almost ethereal silence. It wasn't long until we could make out the distant glow of lanterns and headlights, the mishmash of campground noises slowly returning as we got closer.

Once we'd unpacked Verne's strawberries and settled down, it became as relaxed and fun as any other night. The kids sang ridiculous campfire songs to ward off any creepy noises, and RJ disappeared for a moment only to return with an armload of exceptionally delicious junk food, something we'd all been reluctant to share. I finished my flower crown with the help of a flashlight and wore it proudly, feeling like a princess amongst the flickering shadows and cool night air.

A few minutes later, my dad and Tiger got into a heated debate over hissing being a better defense than playing possum, causing everyone else to burst out laughing. Our spirits rose with the twisting swirls of smoke, and I'd never been happier to be out here with my family, goofing off and just being myself.

Still, there was something more than a little off about the distant call of those feral dogs, and they continued to play eerily in my mind whenever there was a pause in the conversation, growing more and more distorted as the night went on. No matter how safe we were amongst the swaying branches, illuminated trailers and sleeping humans, those strange, rogue howling sounds had been disturbing.

_Ominous, even._

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**Author's Note:**

_Ooh, a mini-cliffie! I'm so cruel lol. It's true the dogs can't reach the campsite, but don't think they're gonna go down without a fight. What kind of fight? You'll have to wait and see ;)_

_Thanks for reading, and leave sequel suggestions if you've got any! I've figured out most of the plot, but I can adjust things if you guys all have your heart set on something specific. While I can't promise to use everything, there's always the threequel (and you know I'll write it XD)_

_Good luck and best wishes, y'all!_


	20. Running Again

I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.

**Author's Note: **_Hey, awesome possums. Been a while, huh? I apologize for the thousandth time, but I've been really depressed and my life has been such a mess this last month even thinking about writing is hard. All the editing, re-writing and stuff takes time and energy I just don't have. Still, here's chapter 20, the second last one! We're almost done, as crazy as it seems. Thanks again to all my fabulous reviewers, and all of you guys who've faved and followed! Y'all are amazing, and the only reason I keep going :) _

_❤️Nyxy_

**Review Replies:**

**Slovak: **Thank you so much! It's always amazing to get a new reviewer, and I promise I'll write a ton of sequels, and maybe even a prequel :)

**xXzombisteffiXx: **Don't worry about it, I don't expect you to review all the time. It's awesome that you do, though :) You're right there, I do have something planned... whether it's evil remains to be seen, but I fear you may not approve lol. No spoilers, but Chase will definitely be in the sequel :P Good luck with school!

**Fun Fact: **Happy one year anniversary, Brand New Eyes! As of October third, it's been a whole year since the adventure began! I've made so many wonderful memories writing this story, so here's to many more! :)

Also, if you like Jade, you're gonna hate me after reading this... *smiles nervously and hides*

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Running Again (Chapter 20)

_Jade_

I sighed quietly, watching the embers flicker under a blanket of delicate white ash. The evening's craziness had long since died down, and those who were still awake appeared to have a rather tired gleam in their eyes, something which was magnified by the silence of our surroundings. No humans were out tonight, the only obvious sign that things weren't quite the way they should be.

There was a chill in the air, and despite the fact it was summer, I leaned closer to the dull orange glow, hoping to capture some of what little warmth remained. It felt safe here in our dancing bubble of firelight, but I couldn't take anything for granted after today.

Closing my eyes, I replayed the panicked voices and distant howls in an attempt to decipher what was going on in Westfield, and if it had any possibility of becoming a threat to the campground, or more importantly, its inhabitants. Despite my best efforts, the answer eluded me.

To be honest, I hadn't told Heather the entire truth, though it was probably for the best. Feral dog attacks on humans in Westfield were common, and I'd seen more than my fair share from behind the broken windows of Ol' Rosie. The area would be evacuated and taped off for a day or two, but that was about it. A few locals might stay inside out of respect or paranoia, but the whole city and surrounding area didn't just shut down. There was no way of knowing exactly what had happened, but going off reactions alone, it wasn't pretty.

Giving up in a fit of frustration, I absentmindedly flipped open my knife and admired its reflective, smooth surface. Tiny scratches decorated both the blade and handle, vague remainders of every battle I'd ever won or lost. I ran my finger across it softly as I fought off yet another wave of faded, bittersweet memories.

Somewhere behind me a trailer light switched on, the soft glow illuminating nearby foliage and casting a spiderweb of shadows across the dusty gravel road. Blinking from the sudden brightness, I turned toward the source, grateful for a distraction from my thoughts.

"Charlie," a woman's voice yelled from inside, "you need to get to bed! It's past midnight, and we're leaving tomorrow!"

"Oh _come on,_ mom, I'm texting Jillian! Ten more minutes?" Another, younger voice answered her, and since the light was out again a few seconds, I figured her mother had agreed.

Their words echoed oddly through the campground, and while there would've been nothing remarkable about the exchange at any other time, everything came across as weird and messed up to me tonight.

I glanced over at the others, none of who seemed nearly as concerned. I guess I was still on edge from the whole dog thing, which wasn't exactly surprising considering the circumstances.

"If it's really that late, we should be sleeping by now," Verne said, looking over his shoulder to where the porcupines, Tiger and Hammy were snoring away happily and, in Tiger's case, loudly.

Despite how heavy my eyelids felt, there was no way I could even think about laying down, let alone falling asleep.

"Hey, midnight's not so bad," RJ said, catching my eye, "but since I've got something planned for tomorrow, I should probably join them. What about you, Jaded Lady?"

I smiled weakly, hoping I appeared calm and unfazed as the panic took over internally.

"Oh, you know me. I'm borderline freakin' nocturnal, so I guess this is goodnight," I laughed, hoping it managed to come across as both cheerful and convincing.

RJ grinned. "I know, I know. Just try to be up before dinner this time, okay?"

"Fine. And that only happened once." I rolled my eyes, trying my best to ignore him.

"Actually, twice," he smirked, eyes glimmering in the firelight, "but I won't tell."

"Shut up, idiot!" I said, blushing slightly and staring at the ground.

The already dying light darkened in my peripheral vision, and I turned my head to see Verne putting out the fire with a particularly smooth twig, one that also happened to be the kid's favorite marshmallow roasting stick. I giggled a little, imagining how mad they'd be tomorrow when they found out.

After the last sparks had been extinguished, he turned away and beckoned for the others, all of who were now heading towards the shadowy pile of leaves and twigs we'd recently designated our sleeping area. It wasn't the best, but until a more permanent location was chosen, the place worked just fine.

"Come on, raccoon," Stella yelled, her voice echoing through the darkness.

RJ turned to look at her for a moment, before once again facing me.

"Guess I better go," he said, sounding a little disappointed.

I smiled and kissed him goodnight, something that had already become a bit of a routine in the last month. My heart still fluttered just as hard as it had in the old warehouse, and I knew that if it was up to me, this was how I'd spend the rest of my life.

"Goodnight, RJ," I whispered, trying to build up the courage it would take for me to tell him how I really felt, that it wasn't like, but _love._ Somehow, no matter how much I'd changed, a part of me still felt like the same angry girl from Westfield, too afraid of her own emotions to ever admit the truth, and I didn't like it.

"Night, Jaded Lady," he said, walking away. I watched his figure as it began to disappear into the darkness, immediately regretting the fact I hadn't said anything. It was now or never.

_Come on, Jade. Only three little words. You can do it._

I stepped forward, more acutely aware of the silence then I'd ever been before. Taking a deep breath, I tried in vain to keep my voice steady.

"Oh, and RJ," I said, pausing to shove my shaking hands inside my leather pouch, "I, uh..."

He stopped and looked at me, a touch of confusion in those perfect blue eyes. "Yeah?"

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, huh?"

"Sure thing," he nodded, running to catch up with the others.

_You're a coward, Jade. A stupid freakin' idiotic coward. You've faced feral dogs and deranged ferrets, yet you can't even say 'I love you'. Pathetic._

Of course, if I'd known it was the last chance I'd have to confess my feelings for a very long time, things might've gone differently... or not. Hey, I'd never been good with the mushy stuff.

Slumping down on the still-warm ground, I made a feeble attempt to push the sinking feeling of failure and embarrassment out of my mind, something easier said than done.

Eventually I managed to focus my attention on Westfield's feral dog situation, but after thoroughly exhausting every conceivable possibility, I once again found myself coming up empty handed. Giving up angrily and cursing under my breath, I glared miserably at the quivering branches and starry sky above, wishing it would all just go away and leave me alone.

I was about to drag myself to the sleeping area when I heard a rather loud, almost robotic buzzing sound. It seemed to be coming from the other side of the fire pit, near our makeshift seating arrangement, something which really didn't make any sense.

"Just freakin' great! Now I'm hallucinating cyborg bugs," I muttered, noticing a small, flashing light reflecting off one of the smooth, slightly charred rocks.

Getting closer, I caught a familiar glimpse of silver and realized the source of the annoying hum wasn't some top secret science experiment gone horribly wrong, but a seemingly discarded cellphone. RJ's cellphone, to be exact.

"Hm, idiot must've forgotten it," I said out loud, getting up and jumping over the fire pit with an unenthusiastic sigh.

It flickered again as I reached for it, which momentarily made me wonder if the battery was dying, or if the thing had simply been dropped one too many times. Curiosity overtook any trace of common sense, and I carefully flipped open the tiny screen, which immediately lit up and alerted me to a new text message. Hmm, this would be _interesting._

At first I figured it would be either spam or some random friend I'd never heard of, but as I read the tiny, occasionally misspelled words, a sick feeling began to form in the pit of my stomach._ This text wasn't for RJ._ In fact, it didn't even mention him. The mis-typed letters continued to fade in and out of focus as I zoomed, but their message remained horrifyingly clear.

_jade,_

_not sure If ThiS wil work, but snce this is the numbr yu used to book teh hotel room, i hAv To try. since youv been gone, someone has RallIed al th dogs into attaCK mode. hundreds of thm ar terrorizing the city, even hte pack leaDer. I have nO way of kNowin whre you are, buT you need ot come back now adn fast. Go fOr teh shortcut jade, and maybe youll get hre on time. me an all the others ar evacuating hte locals from the hotel into teh old hospital, but i wrry its a trap. please_

_signd, chase_

I re-read the speedily typed message over and over again, as if on the hundredth pass it would magically disappear, or at the very least change into some vaguely annoying ad for overpriced cruise vacations. Obviously, it didn't. The words continued to glare at me from behind their illuminated and scratched screen, shock and nerves making my whole body tremble so violently I nearly dropped the unfortunate device.

A million half-formed thoughts raced through my mind, most of which I couldn't even begin to make sense of. The message didn't read like something a perfectionist such as Chase would've typed, but considering the fact he was currently fighting for his life, it was forgivable. A hint of doubt still clung hopefully to the back of my mind, but I knew deep inside it was just a manifestation of denial. The text, and therefore situation, had to be real.

For a split second I considered deleting it and never saying a word, but that would've gone against everything I'd spent my life fighting for, not to mention how amazingly selfish and _wrong_ doing such a thing would be. An image of Blake forced its way into my mind, back pinned against a dirty brick wall as tears poured from his widened hazel eyes, the shadow of two feral dogs blocking out a background of laughter and glittering carnival lights. His desperate scream was cut off abruptly, and I winced so hard it actually hurt.

No, there was no way I could ignore the situation, and my choice had been made. For better or for worse, it was time to take action.

My already fragile heart shattered as the bitter reality of leaving sunk in, but it wasn't like I had a lot options. Families and animals just like the ones I'd come to love were being traumatized and slaughtered by rampaging ferals at this very moment, and since I was one of the few with the ability to help, I wasn't about to plead ignorance and let them become my sacrifice.

Walking away was going to be hard enough on its own, and the thought of facing them and breaking the only unspoken promise I'd ever managed to keep was unbearable. It would be less painful for all of us if I just left, and that's exactly what I was planning to do. Still, I owed that family _so much_ more, and a proper goodbye was the very least I could offer. Scribbling down some hurried, barely legible note seemed beyond inadequate, and written words had never been my strong point even at the best of times.

The only other option I could think of was a video, and while it still felt painfully wrong, at least I would be able to properly explain what was going on, and why I was leaving in the first place. Maybe it would even help bring them closure to have something they could remember me by, because there was a very high chance I wouldn't be coming back alive.

It wasn't an easy thought to process, but I'd faced death before, and I could do it again. At least this time I'd go down knowing I was loved, and not just another dead raccoon for the city maintenance crew to clean up. Morbid, but true.

Brushing off my tail and standing beneath one of the cheap fluorescent security lights, I gingerly pressed the record button and started filming. At first it was difficult to even keep my eyes on the camera, but through some miracle I managed to hold it steady as I stuttered out whatever words came to mind.

"I'm sorry, I really am," I said quietly as the speakers crackled, my voice going raspy from fighting back the urge to cry. Every sentence ended up sounding either pathetic or scripted and fake, but I kept talking, mentally trying to delay that inevitable, final goodbye. Needless to say, it came far too soon.

After spending a minute figuring out how to actually stop the video, I flipped the phone shut with a sharp-sounding click. Rubbing my eyes in an attempt to discourage the increasing dampness, I crept toward the now-silent sleeping area, taking great care to ensure I didn't wake anyone.

They all looked so peaceful and content nestled amongst the warm, fluffy leaves, and I felt a pang of guilt watching them, something which I supposed was inevitable. Shaking my head as a way of clearing such heartbreaking thoughts, I set the phone and a few of my more treasured belongings down, hastily scribbling a note on a paper towel with one of the kid's ridiculously vibrant and incredibly permanent crayons.

"Goodbye," I whispered, forcing my eyes shut as they began to fill with tears, "I love you, you crazy idiots. Stay safe, and don't miss me too much..."

Voice still lingering in the air, I knelt down next to RJ and kissed him softly, saying the three little words I'd been so reluctant to admit before, and hoping with all my heart he already knew exactly what they meant to me.

Getting up and turning my back on the only real family I'd ever had was the hardest thing I'd had to do in my entire life, and a decision that would come to haunt me for many weeks.

Tightening the clasp on my leather pouch, I ignored the pain as best I could and pressed on, looking over my shoulder one last time before stepping out onto the winding gravel path and losing sight of our perfect little hideout. I reached the park boundary's edge far too quickly, swaying trees and shadows partially obscuring the entry gate. A new sign was nailed to one of the buildings, its white paint almost glowing in the night air.

_"Come back soon."_ I read it out loud, and finally allowed myself to cry, because I _wouldn't_ be coming back soon.

In fact, odds were I was never going to see this place again. A part of me wanted to be terrified, but I'd already come to terms with my potential demise and felt only a grim acceptance towards it, no longer caring so much about myself. If I was going to die, then so be it. My only regret would be any hurt I'd inadvertently caused my family, and I wondered if they could forgive me for what I was about to do.

In the end, I hoped I wasn't just running again.

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**Author's Note:**_ Sooo, do you hate me yet? I hope not. Anyway, you read that right: Jade's returning to Westfield for an incredibly dangerous rescue mission. Hey, what could go wrong? The second last chapter is done, and I've already started working on the next one, and yes, even the sequel! This is your last chance to review Brand New Eyes as an incomplete story, so if you've got sequel suggestions, share them now *hint hint* Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you'll stick around for the final chapter ❤️Nyxy❤️_

**Also, have you found THE SECRET MESSAGE IN CHASE'S TEXT?**

**Hint: The typos were accidental, but the capital letters were very much on purpose. What is he trying to tell her?**


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